


Joker on Ice

by RainyDays (SunsetHours), SunsetHours



Series: Always Together: A Ren and Sumire Romance [1]
Category: Persona 5, Persona 5 Royal, Persona Series
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Inspired by Yuri!!! on Ice, Post-Canon, Romance, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-06-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:39:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 42,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24013726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetHours/pseuds/RainyDays, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunsetHours/pseuds/SunsetHours
Summary: CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5 ROYAL AND ENDING.3 years after their last job as Phantom Thieves, Ren and Yoshizawa find themselves living together in a cozy Tokyo apartment. Ren however is currently in a dilemma of deciding what romantic and spectacular thing he should do for the couple's 3rd anniversary together. Through sheer coincidence, he finds his idea, though it won't be simple or easy but with the help of the Phantom Thieves, who just happen to all be in town for the month, he just might be able to pull it off.Enjoy a story of romance, humor and comfort from this cute couple as they continue their lives together after their high-school days.Slight inspiration taken from 'Yuri!!! on Ice', it is still a Persona story with romance, humor and fluff!UPDATE: Story is finished and the sequel is out!
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Yoshizawa Kasumi, Kurusu Akira/Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist & Yoshizawa Sumire | Yoshizawa Kasumi, Persona 5 Protagonist/Yoshizawa Kasumi
Series: Always Together: A Ren and Sumire Romance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825528
Comments: 111
Kudos: 210





	1. Joker on Ice

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all, hope you enjoy my rom-com story! Reminder again there are major spoilers about P5:Royal so if you haven't played or don't want to read spoilers please come back after taking care of that!  
> There are some references to the anime 'Yuri!!! on Ice' but you do not need to have watched it to understand this chapter! But it doesn't hurt if you have! This is one of my first times writing romantic comedy so I hope I do Ren and Sumire justice in terms of the sweetness in their relationship, as well as portraying the other Phantom thieves accurately to their personalities. 
> 
> Please enjoy!
> 
> Final note: Reading this while listening to 'i found my home in your arms - lofi hip hop mix' by Dreamy (on YouTube) is another great way to enjoy this chapter ;)

Ren awoke with a slight start as sunlight filtered through the blinds from the window. He blinked his eyes once, then twice, then rolled over slowly to look at his girlfriend Sumire, who was still fast asleep right next to him. 

She had accidently poked him with her feet causing him to wake, something she did occasionally if she was cold but he didn’t mind in the slightest. Now that he was awake, he looked at her softly and smiled to himself. 

He shifted slightly, just enough to peck her lightly on the cheek, then got up slowly out of bed and headed to the kitchen, closing the bedroom door softly as he went out.

Ren and Sumire had been living together for about a year now ever since she graduated from Shujin and Ren moved back to Tokyo to study law at the Tokyo University. 

With the money he had earned from his phantom thief days and his current part time job as speech advisor for Yoshida, he had managed to secure a cosy apartment in Yongen-Jaya. The apartment itself was modest but spacious, it had 2 bedrooms, a living room and a connected kitchen with the bathroom located through the main hall. 

Sumire and Ren slept in one bedroom and the other was a spare whenever they had family or friends over. The apartment also came with an additional bonus, being it was about a 10 minutes’ walk from Leblanc. Ren still stopped by daily whenever he had the chance to help Sojiro out with the cafe in the morning or to see Futaba off as she headed to school.

As he went into the kitchen, he started his morning routine of preparing coffee and curry for both Sumire and himself, following the familiar rhythm Sojiro had taught him long ago. 

He smiled quietly to himself, humming ‘Beneath the Mask’ as his hands almost seemed to work on their own. After having prepared the brewing equipment, Ren went and opened one of the wooden cabinets and looked at the different bean mixes stored in there. He looked at them thoughtfully, then decided to go with a surprise flavor. Closing his eyes, Ren reached out for a random jar and grabbed it.

It wasn’t long before he had a pot of fresh hot ‘Mocha Matari’ ready to pour, Ren chuckled to himself as he recalled Sojiro explaining the “complex spicy chocolate flavour” of the bean when he was first learning how to brew coffee at Leblanc. 

Ren also managed to cook the rice and prepare the curry for breakfast after finishing with the coffee. He checked the time on his phone, 8:15 AM, he had some time before Sumire usually woke.

 _‘Might as well check what the others have suggested so far’_ he thought.

He went over to the dining room table they had in the kitchen and opened the black laptop that was sitting there. Though it was second hand and slightly dirty, Ren still kept the laptop after all these years because it was something he had brought and fixed himself back when he was a Phantom Thief living in the attic at Leblanc. 

He had also managed to finally stop the laptop from redirecting him to ‘Tanaka’s Shady Commodities’ thanks to Futaba's help, so he could use it normally now. He opened up a shared word document and scanned the content on the page. He could see Ann had made another addition to the document, so had Ryuji, Yusuke and Haru.

  * _Canal boat ride in Venice, that would be my dream romantic date! – **Ann**_
  * _Ramen eating challenge in Shibuya bro that’s the perfect anniversary gift – **Ryuji**_
  * _Coffee tasting tour across Japan! – **Haru**_
  * _A magnificent painting of you both, embracing each other in heated passion! (nude optional) – **Yusuke**_ **** ****



Ren read over his friend’s suggestions and shook his head, particularly over Yusuke’s. He added his own comment at the end saying ‘All great ideas guys but I want it to be a bit more romantic and special to her, keep the suggestions coming though!’.

Sighing, Ren closed the laptop, lost in thought. Sumire and him had been going out for nearly 3 years now, it was their 3rd anniversary coming up and he wanted to make it memorable, in “Joker-like fashion” as Yusuke would put it, but so far he could think of nothing, nothing at all! He had wracked his brain for over 6 months now but nothing came up that would top last year’s anniversary celebration which was renting out the entirety of Destiny-land (and that had cost I’m a lot of his savings even with Haru’s connections providing him with discounts).

Ren saw the door to the bedroom open and Sumire emerged, stretching slightly as she walked towards him. She was wearing one of his old grey-shirts over her shorts, her eyes behind her glasses seemed to reflect the smile she had as she saw him.

“Morning Sumi, sleep well?” Ren asked, as she sat down at the table. 

“Yes, super well Senpai” she answered smiling. 

She still called him that despite the fact that they’ve been dating for a while and were no longer in school, it had become her pet name for him now which he didn’t mind at all.

“That’s good to hear, I thought you would be tired after last night,” Ren said with his old Joker grin. Sumire blushed a faint pink but she grinned back,

“Well Senpai if I do show up tired to my practice sessions, I’ll put the blame on you when coach Hiraguchi asks,” Sumire said back confidently,

“And if your coach asks why being tired is related to me?” he teased back. Sumire’s smile turned into an embarrassed pout and her face went bright red, she was blushing furiously. 

After going out with him for so long, Sumire had started teasing Ren back whenever he tried to make her blush, but she still couldn’t cope with how cheesy or playful her boyfriend could be at times.

Ren decided to save his girlfriend and asked, “Would you like some coffee while I prepare you some breakfast?” 

She smiled gratefully still blushing, “That would be wonderful Senpai, thank you!” Ren smiled then got up from the table and started busying himself with plates and cups.

A voice piped up from a corner in the room, “You guys are wayyyyy too sweet this early in the morning!” it complained. 

That voice came from Morgana, Ren’s cat companion and fellow retired phantom thief who lived with the couple. Morgana peeked out from his bundle of blankets which was his bed, then rose and stretched himself out. He walked over to Sumire who picked him up and set him on the table, petting him softly.

"I wish you could keep the noise down at night as well,” Morgana said, yawning again. 

Sumire smiled at Morgana’s comment, “I’m sorry Morgana-senpai but there was a special Featherman marathon last night featuring an exclusive holiday episode so we had to binge it all.” 

Ren chuckled, “Morgana you can’t keep reminding me when to sleep even after all these years” he told the cat amusedly. Ren then brought over two steaming mugs of coffee over to the table, along with two plates of curry.

“Are you hungry yet Morgana?” Ren asked the feline who was lounging on the table, “there’s still sushi leftover from yesterday.” 

Morgana stretched himself out and nodded, “A plate of sushi please!” he said purring.

Sumire smiled at the cute cat before grabbing her cup of coffee and tasting it.

“Wonderful as usual Senpai,” she complimented Ren as she set down her cup, feeling the sweetness and slight bitterness of the mocha coffee spread through her body. 

“Glad you like it,” he answered, as he fetched left-over sushi from the fridge and set it on a plate for Morgana, "now let's get ready to eat." 

It wasn’t long before they were all sitting at the table together. “Thank you for the meal,” they all said in unison before they started eating. 

As the first spoonful of curry entered Ren’s mouth, he savoured its spicy but deep flavour. It wasn’t quite like Sojiro’s, Ren had put his own twist to it but he could still taste the faint notes of flavour that his mentor had told him to look out for when tasting the curry. 

As Ren was eating, he felt the familiar buzz from his phone.

“Excuse me,” he said as he pulled his phone out and looked at it. 

“Who’s it from?” Sumire asked curiously, halfway through her plate of curry already. 

“The group chat,” he explained as he scrolled through the chat,

* * *

**Makoto** : _It looks like there is a heavy storm approaching the city, I think we'll have to cancel our picnic plans._

 **Ryuji** : _For real?!_

 **Futaba** : _Yes, for real Ryuji_

 **Yusuke** : _Indeed, I can see the storm clouds from my apartment. Though they are quite beautiful as they cross the horizon, I am saddened that they had to ruin our plans, especially our well prepared food!_

 **Futaba** : _Shut up Inari, you probably forgot to prepare any food for today xd_

 **Yusuke** : _You wound me, how dare you make such a baseless accusation!_

 **Ann** : _Just saw your messages! We'll have to postpone to another time guys :(_

 **Haru** : _Agreed, please keep us updated on future plans everyone_

 **Ren** : _Copy that, I had prepared so much food as well, its a shame..._

 **Yusuke** : _Curse this beautiful storm!_

* * *

Ren chuckled, then looked up at Sumire's curious face, “It looks like we’ll have to cancel the picnic today, heavy rain is approaching Tokyo," he explained.

“Aww, I was really looking forward to seeing everyone,” Sumire said in a sad tone. 

Morgana nodded in agreement, “It’s a shame, I was eager to see Lady Ann, hopefully we’ll be able to find another time when everyone is free and in town!” he said on a cheerier note.

Ren smiled at them both, “Yeah, definitely,” his eyes fell on Sumire’s near empty plate, “Would you like seconds dear?” he asked in a half-amused voice. 

His girlfriend’s appetite never ceased to amaze him. She looked up and nodded quickly in a half-embarrassed smile, “Yes please,” she replied, holding her empty plate up to him.

Ren got up and went to get Sumire her second plate of curry, smiling all the while.

After they had all finished eating, Sumire and Ren started the process of washing the dishes and cleaning up. 

As Ren was drying the plates he asked, “So what should we do today now that we can’t go out?”

Sumire seemed to consider his question as she handed him a washed plate, “Hmmm is there anything you want to do Senpai?” 

He stopped drying the plates and turned to raise an eyebrow at her, trying hard not to smile. 

Sumire looked at him curiously then realised she had set herself up to be embarrassed, she flushed pink without Ren saying anything. 

He laughed softly at his cute girlfriend, 

“Well” he said after a pause, still smiling, “we could browse the shows we’ve been meaning to watch, does that sound good?” he suggested. 

Sumire nodded, “Sounds good!” she said happily. 

When the post breakfast clean-up was done, they went to the living room where Morgana was already waiting for them, sitting idly on the three-seater grey couch Yusuke had brought Ren as a moving-in present. 

He had received the money from winning an arts competition the previous year and thought a couch would really “brighten the place aesthetically!” as he put it when he had carried it over here by himself, much to Ren’s surprise and dismay.

“What are we doing?” asked Morgana as the couple sat down beside him. 

“We’re going to browse the shows we’ve been meaning to watch,” Sumire explained to him as she scratched him behind the ear. 

“Hey stop that,” Morgana complained, “even if I am a cat now that doesn’t mean…” he stopped talking suddenly and started purring contently as Sumire kept scratching his ear. 

Ren rolled eyes at his friend then picked up the remote. He scrolled through Anitere (TV Tokyo’s streaming service), thinking about what there was to watch. 

“Oh oh!” Sumire exclaimed as he scrolled past a show, “I want to watch that one Senpai!” Ren stopped scrolling; he saw the one Sumire had picked out.

“My friend told me about this one, it’s about a retired figure skater named Yuuri getting back into the professional world of skating again through fateful events,” Sumire explained to Ren. 

“Sounds interesting,” he said, “let's give it a watch then.” 

Sumire smiled, “Wait a moment before you begin,” she shifted herself and snuggled up closer to him, “okay you can start,” she said happily. 

Ren was slightly surprised at Sumire’s closeness and could hear Morgana making gagging noises but he just smiled, feeling warmth and contentment fill him.

The show was dazzling, especially for Sumire who loved gymnastics so much. The poise and form of figure skating mirrored the elegance and passion needed for gymnastics. 

Her eyes were glued to the screen for all 12 episodes of the anime, she even exclaimed when the characters performed their figure skating routines. The art and animation of the show accurately depicted the complicated moves and motions needed when skating on ice and Sumire could obviously see that. 

Ren saw his girlfriend’s captivated face and couldn’t help but smile to himself, he loved seeing her this excited about something.

It was afternoon when they finished the show. Morgana had long since fallen asleep while Sumire was wide awake, listening to the ending theme as the last episode ended. 

“That was amazing,” she said finally turning to Ren, “I can’t believe it’s over, the music and characters were all so vibrant, the routines and art was so beautiful,” she gushed. 

Ren saw his chance, “Not as beautiful as you,” he said with a small grin on his face. 

Sumire’s face devolved into a red blushing mess, “Senpai that’s not fair,” she said, pouting but still pleased, “next time though I would prefer if you said we’re beautiful together instead”. 

“If that is what you wish dear,” he said earnestly back, “I’m glad you enjoyed the show though Sumire.” 

She nodded, “That routine ‘Eros’ performed by Yuuri was one of my favourites in the show,” she continued to blurt out, “so much emotion and passion, it was stunning.” 

The gears in Ren’s brain started turning, he blinked a couple of times then said slowly, “The ‘Eros’ routine from the show… you found it stunning?” 

Sumire nodded quickly, “Yes, didn’t you think so Senpai?” she asked. 

Ren blinked again, “Oh of course, definitely one of the best routines in the show” he quickly said, his brain still calculating.

Sumire beamed, “The whole theme of the routine conveyed so much passion and depth of love Yuuri had, which is why the routine and song was called Eros of course, meaning love and desire” she explained excitedly

“Right…” Ren said slightly distracted, “it conveyed that much huh”.

A crazy idea had formed in Ren’s head, a wild, crazy and probably stupid idea, could he pull it off? He hesitated for a second then came to a decision.

Of course, he could do it, he was Ren Amamiya, the twilight pillager, and the phantom thief’s trump card, the ‘Joker’. ‘But to do this, I’ll need help…’ he thought, almost as if timed, his phone buzzed familiarly again.

He opened the screen and saw new messages in the Phantom Thief chat.

* * *

**Ryuji** : _Yooo forgot to say this earlier, I’ll be in Tokyo for a week and a bit longer for some running shiz so hit me up when you guys are free, we'll definitely need to make up for our cancelled picnic!!!_

 **Ann** : _Yes 100%!!! I'll be in town for a bit longer as well. We’re doing some extra promotion for my new magazine in Tokyo so I'll be around :)_

 **Yusuke** : _What a mad stroke of coincidence, I am of course always here as I have duties to the arts museum as their curator, so do not hesitate to call upon me!_

 **Makoto** : _Haru and I will also be in Tokyo for awhile longer taking care of some university business, so please let us know as well when we could meet up._

 **Haru** : _Yes, please do let us know, I can’t wait to see Mona-chan!_

 **Futaba** : _I live here so you know where to find me, unlike these other nerds lol._

 **Makoto** : _Shouldn’t you be paying attention to class young lady?_

 **Futaba** : _…Crap, time to move like a fish and swim out of here!_

* * *

Sumire opened her phone and scanned through the messages herself, “They never change huh,” she said giggling, “looks like we’ll still be able to meet up with everyone Senpai!”

Ren smiled, whatever God or stroke of fate had planned this he did not know but he thanked them all the same.

He had his crew ready to go, he just needed a plan now.

Ren smiled confidently, ‘Looks like the Phantom Thieves have one last job lined up, commence operation: Joker on Ice.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First chapter done!  
> I hope I satisfied your expectations of their relationships!  
> One note I will say is I decided to have Sumire still keep calling Ren her senpai at times, only as a sign of affection (I know that slightly goes against Japanese grammar when addressing each other but I think that really signifies their relationship).  
> Thank you all for reading, I hope you'll following the story as we go on! Will try to upload once per week.  
> Special thanks to VitaminDel for reading over my work!


	2. Cold Day Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and Sumire enjoy a quiet morning together before meeting up with the rest of the Phantom Thieves, the first step in Ren's master plan is about to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, hope you enjoy this chapter, hopefully there is enough fluff and romance!  
> Great way to read this chapter is to listen to "Just wanna stay here forever ~ lofi hip hop mix" by Dreamy ;)

Ren spent the next few days feverishly watching over figure skating videos, reading various books on the topic and solidifying the plan in his mind. It had even gotten to a point where Morgana would have to remind him to go to sleep since he was staying awake till 3 in the morning watching videos on figure skating.

However, now the first stage of his plan was over, he had come up with the outline but he now needed feedback. His next step would be to get the thieves together and discuss it with them, their experience and different backgrounds would surely assist in his grand plan, like it did back during Sae’s Palace where they had made their biggest gamble. The plan would never have worked however without all the thieves giving their input and working together on it. 

He heard the small beeping noise of his alarm go off nice and early on Sunday morning. Today was the planned outing with the rest of the group, he signed slightly. Though he was tired, it was important he kept reviewing the plan to keep the material fresh in his mind. Ren carefully removed the duvet from his body so as to not disturb Sumire who was most likely still in deep sleep, he took a quick peak to his left to make sure that was the case. 

To his utter surprise, she was not in bed. He raised the duvet higher to see if she was hiding under the covers (something she had done once where she had surprised him with a loud “Wah!” which made him tumble out of bed), but she wasn’t there. 

He took a moment to think, ‘Did she mention something about having practice this early in the morning?” he shook his head, he would have remembered if she had told him about something that important. He checked the time on his phone again.

_7:15 AM, Saturday, January the 4th_

He got out of bed, walked quietly to the door and opened it slowly. The fresh smell of brewed coffee greeted him upon exiting the bedroom. Feeling extremely curious, Ren made his way to the kitchen, where he found Sumire, standing over the coffee maker with a fresh pot in her hand. Wearing her gymnastic jacket over a white T-shirt and shorts, she looked up as he entered.

“Morning Senpai! You’re up early,” she said with a warm smile.

Momentarily shocked, Ren recovered instantly, “Morning Sumi, I wanted to wake up earlier to get ready for today,”

Sumire nodded thoughtfully, “Right, we’re meeting up with everyone today, that’s partially the reason why I woke up early as well.”

Ren looked at the coffee pot in her hand again, “Sumi, did you make this coffee?”

She smiled brightly, “Yes, I did! Please sit down and I’ll pour you a cup, I want you to taste it” she answered with a slight blush on her cheeks which made Ren’s heart flutter slightly.

Taking a seat at the dining table, Sumire came over with a small cup and then the pot. She poured him a cup carefully before setting the pot down on the table and taking a seat opposite him. Ren, who was still slightly shocked his girlfriend had brewed him a cup of coffee, looked up at her again. She was smiling at him nervously, obviously waiting for him to taste her coffee.

“Thank you for the coffee,” Ren said with a smile as he lifted the cup up. He first brought the cup up to his nose, taking a small sniff at the aroma. A complex smell seemed to emanate from the coffee, he nodded approvingly, taking slow breaths as he inhaled it. 

Ren then took a drink, slowly letting the coffee enter his mouth. A rich bright flavour hit his taste buds, tinged with an acidity that left a memorable taste. He recognised the flavour instantly.

“Hawaiian Kona,” he said astonished, “the rich flavour and acidity is brought out so clearly in this brew.” He looked back up at Sumire who was now blushing but smiling widely.

“Your coffee taste is amazing as usual Senpai,” she complimented him.

“Since when have you been able to brew coffee this good?” he asked her curiously, taking another sip.

“Since last year actually,” she said proudly, “Haru-senpai has been giving me lessons in private whenever she is in town, I asked her too so I could impress you,” she said this last part a bit softly and Ren could see she was blushing again. 

He stood up and came over to where she was sitting and hugged her. She put her arms around him happily and giggled.

“Thank you Sumi, I love you,” he said tenderly, feeling a lump in his throat as he said this. The only person who had made coffee for him up until this point was Sojiro at Leblanc and on occasion Haru, whenever she tested new brands of beans for her café. 

The act made him sentimental, coffee had been one of the only things that he found comfort in before he met her, especially during his thief days. He often brewed a pot whenever he was feeling down or when he needed to take his mind of something. So having someone important to him make coffee for him with such care and love, Ren couldn’t help but feel emotional.

 _‘I really am turning into Sojiro huh’_ he thought self-consciously.

As Sumire held onto him, she tilted her head slightly to look up at him and was surprised to see small tears forming in his eyes.

“Ren…” she said worriedly.

With one of his hands, Ren quickly wiped away his moist eyes, “Sorry Sumi, this really means a lot to me so I got a bit emotional, nothing to be worried about” he said with a gentle tone. She kept looking up at him, then let go of him. 

She got up slowly, so that she was now standing close in front of him. She grabbed the sides of his face, using her thumbs to wipe off any remaining moisture from his eyes.

In an instant, Ren felt a softness press upon his lips. He could see Sumire’s eyelashes, along with his own eyes reflected in her ruby ones as she kissed him. She pulled back, blushing now more than ever,

“I love you too Ren,” she said softly, smiling at him. Ren smiled back, this time feeling nervous himself, which happened whenever she used his first name.

“Shall I begin to make breakfast then?” he asked, still holding onto her.

She once again smiled confidently at him, “Actually Senpai, I’ve already prepared something, I hope you don’t mind having pancakes, I hope they turn out delicious.”

Ren felt a laugh escape his lips as he looked at her. She looked at him curiously.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, as he continued to laugh.

‘It’s nothing, I would love to have pancakes with you Sumi,” he chuckled. She smiled a bit confusedly at her boyfriend, then dragged him to the kitchen, where she had all the ingredients ready.

* * *

Before long, Sumire and Ren had prepared a batch of fresh pancakes, served along with jam and honey which was all laid out on the dining table. They paired Sumire’s well brewed coffee with the pancakes, which made for a good contrast of sweet and bitter.

“Delicious,” Ren praised Sumire as he ate his 3rd pancake. She smiled gratefully, “Really glad you like it Senpai, please have as many as you like!”

“I would take you up on that but what about you darling?” Ren asked teasingly, she had already started on her 5th pancake and there were only two left.

“There’s always your wonderful curry,” she replied back giggling, “which I’m sure you could prepare in a pinch.”

“Did someone say curry?”

Morgana’s sleepy voice called out from his blanket bed in the corner of the room. Ren saw the little feline emerge from his bundle of cosy blankets.

“Morning Morgana,” Ren said.

“Good morning Morgana-senpai” Sumire said cheerfully, finishing up her 5th pancake now.

Morgana walked sleepily over to them, this time to Ren, who lifted the cat up to an empty space on the table and set him down.

“Morning everyone,” he said, yawning, “what time are we leaving again to meet up with everyone?”

“10 AM, that should give plenty of time to make it to Shinjuku station,” Ren answered as he finished his last pancake.

He felt a buzz in his pocket and pulled out his phone,

**_\---------------------------------------------------_ **

**Yusuke** : _Morning everyone, I hope everyone had a well-rested sleep, I was so busy painting I did not notice the sun had already risen in all its glory. I shall attempt to take a short nap now, look forward to our gathering in a few hours._

 **Futaba** : _Morning all, Inari you better be here in time to pick me up!!!_

 **Yusuke** : _Of course, I shall be there to accompany you to the station, worry not I have set 3 alarm clocks to wake me from my sleep_

 **Makoto** : _Good morning, just to confirm again, we’re meeting at 10:20 at Shinjuku station, if you’re running late please let us know_

 **Ann** : _Morning, how are you all up so energetic this early…_

 **Futaba** : _At least you’re awake, I think Ryuji is still conked out and asleep_

 **Haru** : _Hello everyone, looking forward to today!_

 **Ren** : _Same here, Sumire and I will be there on time, see you all then_

**_\---------------------------------------------------_ **

“I hope Yusuke can handle picking up Futaba with his current lack of sleep,” Ren said worryingly scanning over the messages and closing his phone.

Sumire nodded, “I’m sure Yusuke-senpai will be alright,” though her words sounded confident her tone did not indicate the same.

Morgana meowed, “Ren, I’m hungry”

“Would you like to try some of Sumire’s delicious pancakes?” Ren asked with a straight face,

Morgana raised his head slowly to look at Ren, his eyes a combination of amusement and exasperation.

“That does sound good,” he said finally, “and a saucer of milk as well please.” Ren looked over at the plate of pancakes. There was one left, Sumire had just finished the 2nd last one.

‘One is better than nothing’ he said smiling to himself as he got up and to get a plate ready for Morgana, who was now in the process of asking Sumire about what jams they had on the table.

* * *

At 10 AM, Sumire and Ren left the apartment hand in hand, with Morgana comfortably tucked away in Ren’s bag. They were both wearing their winter coats and respective scarf as the wind and temperature outside was still chilly, Ren’s scarf was blue while Sumire’s was red. They talked idly as they passed by Yongen-Jaya scenery, from small cafes to near blooming cherry blossom trees. Morgan often interjected when they talked, but mostly he kept quiet as the couple flirted, preferring to let them have their time together.

“I like the cold weather,” Sumire said as they crossed the road leading to the nearest train station, “makes holding your hand feel even better Senpai.” 

Ren nodded in agreement, “Agreed, also makes things like this feel even better,” he leant over quickly and kissed her on the cheek. Sumire raised her left hand to touch her cheeks where Ren had kissed her, feeling herself go scarlet.

“Not fair Ren we’re in public,” she said, pouting once again, though still quite happy at her boyfriend’s display of affection.

“Sorry sorry,” he apologized lightly smiling at her, “I’ll save the rest for when we get home.”

Sumire said nothing but blushed even more at his statement.

They finally reached Yongen-Jaya station, Ren felt almost nostalgic as he looked at the familiar station.

“Oh Senpai, tomorrow I’m at an assembly with my coach about this year’s gymnastic meet, I’ll probably be home around 5 PM,” she told him as they entered the station.

“That’s fine, I’ll make dinner and wait for you to get home,” he said as he passed through the station gate.

“Thank you, I’ll look forward to it,” she said gratefully.

"I hope we're having curry!" Morgana injected excitedly.

Ren and Sumire looked at each other then they all laughed together.

They boarded the train heading to Shibuya, and then transferred to the Shinjuku line. Before long they found themselves at the meeting spot outside the Shinjuku station, near a blue coloured bench. Haru and Makoto arrived soon after them, sporting their respective winter outfits. Haru was wearing her floofy light pink winter coat, whereas Makoto was wearing her turquoise winter jacket.

As they walked up to the couple they smiled brightly and waved.

“Sumi-chan and Ren-kun!” Haru called out excitedly as they got nearer. All of them hugged, and laughed as they caught up with each other.

“It’s good to see you guys again,” Makoto said smiling at the pair, “it’s been too long”. Morgana’s voice called out from Ren’s bag.

“Hey I’m here too you know!” he complained from inside Ren’s bag. Everyone present laughed, Haru came over to Ren and pointed at the bag.

“May I?” she asked kindly.

“Of course, be my guest,” Ren replied smiling, handing Haru his bag. She took it and sat down at the bench, unzipping it and pulling Morgana out.

“Cold cold!” he complained.

“Mona-chan how are you!” Haru said delightedly at the cat, as she pulled him close for a hug.

“Haru! It's good to see you but it's cold outside, put me back in the bag!” Morgana said loudly as he struggled against her hug.

“So how have you guys been?” Ren asked Makoto as he continued to watch Morgana struggle furtively in Haru’s surprisingly strong grip.

“Really good,” Makoto replied, “I’m close to finishing my degree, sis says once I graduate I’ll be able to join the police force as a junior detective if I continue the way I’m currently going.”

“That’s really good to hear Makoto-senpai!” Sumire exclaimed.

Makoto smiled a bit embarrassingly at Sumire, “Please Sumire, what did I say about calling me Senpai, you can just call me Makoto you know,” she said smiling at the younger girl.

“Old habits die hard I guess Makoto,” Sumire said, grinning sheepishly.

“Heyo!” a male voice called out to them. The group looked up to see Ryuji and Ann walking towards them. Ryuji was wearing a dark sports coat with a yellow T-shirt and jeans, Ann was wearing a very fashionable grey coat.

“Wassup my man!” Ryuji called out to Ren and he went in for a rough hug.

“Nothing much speedster, how’s the leg?” Ren asked grinning at his best friend.

“Gah, getting there man, loads better now though, doc at the rehab facility says it's probably a few months away from being nearly back to normal,” Ryuji said tapping his foot.

The girls all crowded around Ann as they all hugged,

“Ann I saw you appear in the Tokyo Women’s Weekly magazine,” Sumire said in an awed voice, “you looked amazing.”

“Aww, thank you Sumi,” Ann replied back, she looked at the cat who Haru was holding tight in her grip “Hello Morgana,” she said smiling warmly at the feline.

“Lady Ann,” he stuttered, “it’s good to see you again,” still locked in Haru’s hug.

“Looks like I’m not the last person here!” a bright voice called out, everyone turned to see Futaba standing there grinning at them all, “Hehe, hello everyone, your navigator is now here!” she exclaimed striking a Neo-Featherman pose. 

She was wearing what looked to be a heavy green jumper with baggy dark trousers. Her signature headphones were hanging around her neck as per usual.

“Futaba!” Everyone called out and then crowded around her.

“Woah woah, personal space people! I feel like I’m at one of those exclusive item events!” Futaba called out and they all laughed.

Makoto took a moment to look around, “Where’s Yusuke?” she asked.

Futaba shook her head in a dramatic fashion, “He got off the previous station for some reason and is most likely walking the rest of the way to save money no doubt,” she explained “I think the poor Inari actually forgot that he recently won a competition so he actually has money to spend now.”

Everyone smiled to themselves, this was typical of Yusuke. It wasn’t before long they had the sound of running and the tall, lanky artist approached them, wearing a navy coat and a white shirt underneath.

“I.. huff… made it,” Yusuke said breathing heavily and clearly sweating as he leant over, “this truly, is a sight to behold, everyone gathered here together… huff… excuse me, one second let me... catch my breath...”

Ryuji looked at this sweating friend “Dude, did you run here? All the way from the last station?”

Yusuke stood up and tried to strike his signature pose, “Of course, money is precious and I could ill afford to waste it on a train trip, especially since today is the day we’re all finally meeting up again!”

There was a slightly pause as everyone looked exasperatedly at their artist friend,

“Also, I may have accidentally gotten off the train early out of pure habit,” Yusuke finally admitted, holding one hand to his face. Everyone laughed at this, even Yusuke, who was still busy trying to catch his breath. They all embraced once again and chatted idly as they stood around basking in each other’s presence.

Morgana, had now somehow made his way back into Ren’s bag during the commotion and zipped it shut from the inside. Haru called out disappointingly at the closed bag,

“Mona-chan, please come out, we all just want to talk to you,” she said in a disappointed tone that did not match her smile.

“You can talk fine with me in the bag Haru, besides it's too cold out there,” the muffled voice of Morgana called out.

“Hmm then I guess you won’t be able to see the present I got you,” Haru said sweetly.

There was a small pause, then the bag opened slowly,

“What kind of present?” Morgana asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

Everyone laughed, then Haru pulled out a small cute jumper, clearly cat sized, it was a very similar colour to Ren’s coat.

“I knitted you this Mona-chan, since I know you get cold easily during winter,” she said presenting him the jumper. Morgana climbed out of the bag and examined the jumper, he then nodded happily.

“It looks perfect Haru,” he said. Haru giggled and put it on for him. Morgana preened over to look at himself, then smiled contentedly.

“Well now that everyone is here, shall we get going,” Ren said as he looked at everyone present.

They all smiled, “Ready when you are Leader!” Ryuji called out much to everyone's surprise. Everyone chuckled at this.

“Well then gang, let’s get going, Navigator lead the way,” Ren said, turning to Futaba.

“Leave it to me!” Futaba excitedly said, then she launched into a sprint, everyone looked at each other before they all hurriedly followed her bouncing footsteps, Ren smiled at Sumire then quickly grabbed her hand (causing her face to immediately blush), as they all set off into Shinjuku’s cold streets. 

* * *

It wasn’t long before the group arrived at a large square centre near East Shinjuku. The streets themselves were not as crowded as Ren expected when they were running along following Futaba, it was a Sunday after all he thought. Though there were a couple of people milling around the mainway street, it seemed like a quiet weekend today.

“This is the building,” Futaba said proudly as she stopped in front of it, “welcome to the Shinjuku entertainment centre!” They all stared at the large building in awe then entered through the front door.

As they entered they were greeted with a very large foyer area, that split off into 3 different sections through corridors, the deco inside was modern and futuristic looking. Though Ren didn't say this to anyone, it reminded him very slightly of Maruki's palace interior, only because the theme seemed to be heavily inspired by science-fiction. There were a couple of groups inside already, sitting on the couches around the area, most likely waiting for their friends.

“Let’s redeem the coupon Ryuji got at the front desk,” Makoto said, pointing to the end of the room where a reception desk was located.

“What is this place?” Ann asked as they made their way through the hall.

“It’s an entertainment centre that was recently opened, you can play bowling, sing karaoke and play arcade games in this building,” Futaba explained excitedly.

Ryuji who seemed just as excited added, “Yeah I got lucky with a raffle I entered last week and won some discount tickets, thought it was a perfect idea for a hang out.”

They all made their way to the desk, where a middle-aged woman was waiting for them. She looked up as they approached, smiling.

“Hello everyone, welcome to the Shinjuku entertainment centre, which area are you interested in buying a ticket for?” she asked politely.

Ryuji stepped in front and passed her the coupons he won recently in a raffle he entered,

“Bowling area please,” he said grinning.

The attendant smiled, “Excellent choice, let me just process these coupons, one second.” She scanned them through a machine, then nodded at the screen,

“These can be redeemed for two discounted bowling games,” she explained as she finished processing them, “the total comes to 4000 yen total.”

“I’ve got this” Ren said smoothly stepping forward with this wallet. The group started to protest but Ren held up his hand, “I was recently paid by Yoshida so I’ve got the money to spare,” he explained.

Haru objected, “It just wouldn’t feel right Ren-kun, how about we split?” she offered to the group.

Ren seemed to think on this then proposed smiling, “How about this, I’ll pay for it now but 3 people with the lowest score after the games will split the bill and pay me back?”

The thieves looked around at each other for a second, then grinned at their leader,

“Feeling confident are we Senpai?” Sumire asked giggling at her self-assured partner as she tugged at his arm.

Ren gave her a small wink before nodding to the rest of the group.

“Sounds good to me,” Ryuji said, “I’m getting pumped now.”

Yusuke nodded along, “Excellent, I too can feel the competitive spirit within.”

“I’ll do my best!” Haru said in a determined tone.

Makoto rolled her eyes but smiled all the same, “Very well, let’s do this.”

Ren nodded, then paid the attendant with his card.

She looked at the group then said “I will need names to display on the score screen,” she handed them a paper sheet and a pen, “please fill in your preferred display name.”

The thieves all looked at each other again before turning to their leader. Ren stepped forward first, grabbing the pen and twirling it around his fingers smoothly. 

He grinned, “Let us start the game then.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed that chapter! As usual there are weekly updates, probably on Monday, the next chapter required me to do a bit more research on Figure Skating and beginner steps so I hope you all will enjoy that. Thank you again for reading, your comments and feedback make my day :D  
> See you all next time  
> Suplex


	3. Phantom Pin Strikers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves engage in a game of bowling, each bringing out their own strengths to try to take victory for themselves. Who will come out on top?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, as promised, here is the next chapter! Thank you all for continuing to read my story, I really appreciate the support you all provide, please enjoy!  
> P.S. Listening to Kichijoji 199X from the Persona 5 The Royal OST is a great way to enjoy this chapter ;)

Ren descended down the dimly lit corridor along with the rest of the thieves following his lead. After registering their chosen player names and picking out a pair of rented bowling shoes, the entertainment worker gestured they continue down one of the corridors leading to the bowling lanes.

“It’s a bit dark don’t you think,” Makoto said, her voice slightly higher than usual, as they continued down the dim corridor. Ren chuckled slightly, “Atmosphere is important for places like these,” he answered. 

“Makes me think I’m in one of those Silent Hill games,” Futaba stated enthusiastically, “any minute a spirit could jump out at us!” The group laughed, though all of them sounded a bit uneasy at the prospect of a stray ghost scaring them.

They stopped walking when they noticed they had arrived at the end of the corridor, which opened up into a large hall filled with 6 bowling lanes. An upbeat jazz-like song played throughout the room, which created a classy mood. The hall was dark, with lights only on the lanes themselves so you could see the progress of the bowling ball being thrown. Large monitors hung above each lane showcasing which players were in the lane, as well as the current score. There were 3 lanes occupied already, sometimes cheers rang out as friends congratulated each other whenever someone got a good score or bowl going.

“Spacious huh,” Ryuji said as he looked around the hall, “which lane were we in again?”

“Lane 6, the one over there” Yusuke pointed his hands pointing to the lane at the end of the room.

“Let’s dash on over then!” Futaba said excitedly, she launched into a quick enthusiastic jog.

As the group made their way over to their lane, they passed by a stylish bar, where a fashionably dressed bartender was working, shaking drink mixers. Finally arriving at lane 6, the group set down their bags at the couch seats placed around their lane. 

“They sell drinks here too huh,” Ann said, looking at the bartender who was mixing drinks for a couple waiting at the counter, “Does anyone want anything?” she asked the group who were all seated comfortably on the couch seats.

“Something fruity for me perhaps,” Haru answered

“I’ll have the same please,” Sumire said.

Yusuke shook his head politely, “A glass of water would be good enough for me, thank you,”

Makoto nodded, “We’ll ask for a pitcher of water then,”

With a straight face, Ren said “Coffee for me please.” Everyone laughed, but Ren looked around confusedly, smiling slightly, “What? I was being serious.” Ann rolled her eyes then said,

“Come with me to the bar and we can see what they have Ren,”

“Alrighty, be right back guys,” Ren said with a grin, getting up from his seat next to Sumire and following Ann to the bar. Sumire watched her boyfriend leave with an amused expression. 

* * *

Ann soon came back with a pitcher of water along with multiple cups for them all, “I’ll be back in second, just bringing this over first,” she said, setting it down on the small central table, before heading back to the bar.

“I’ll pour the water,” Sumire insisted, grabbing the pitcher of water and pouring it out into the cups for the group.

“So, Sumi-chan, how goes it with Ren?” Haru asked curiously when Sumire had poured everyone a glass of water. Sumire looked surprisedly at Haru, she didn’t seem like the gossip type. Everyone looked curiously at Sumire now,

“Ehm, it's really going really well” she answered, feeling a bit embarrassed at the sudden question, she leant forward to grab a cup of water from the table, feeling her cheeks flush slightly.

“You guys have been going out for about 3 years now right?” Makoto asked

“Nearly 3,” Sumire replied, “our 3rd anniversary is coming up,”

Everyone gave a loud “ooo” apart from Morgana who had already known that.

“Do you think he has anything planned?” Makoto asked her, feeling curious herself now.

“Ahhh, not sure,” Sumire responded, “knowing him he probably has some secret elaborate plan though.” She said the last part with a faint smile, she adored how much Ren always tried to impress her, the fact that anyone would go so far to make her happy always warmed her heart.

Futaba leaned in conspiratorially, “Do you guys ever get into any fights and stuff?” she asked.

Sumire shook her head quickly, “No no, not at all, Ren is so kind and caring, if we do get into disagreement, we usually smooth it over immediately.”

“Very mature of you,” Yusuke said approvingly, “you guys are truly two peas of a pod as they say.”

Morgana nodded in agreement, “I agree, I’ve never heard them raise their voices before even if they do get into disagreements.”

“Boring,” Futaba said, her eyes glinted mischievously, “Now tell us, I want to know how he is when you’re alone, in the bedroom particularly.”

Sumire sprayed out the water she had been drinking and started coughing loudly.

“Not a very appropriate question to ask Futaba” Makoto reprimanded her younger friend, who was laughing maniacally now.

“Hey we were all thinking about it,” Futaba said, still laughing.

Haru patted Sumire gently on the back as she was still coughing from the water, “Here Sumi-chan,” she handed Sumire her handkerchief.

Ren and Ann now made their way back to the group, “They’ll bring us our drinks when they’re ready,” Ren said, taking a seat next to Sumire once again who was still blushing furiously as she used Haru’s handkerchief to wipe the water from her mouth and her clothes.

“So, what were you guys talking about?” Ann asked, sitting down between Ryuji and Makoto.

“Oh, uhhh nothing at all!” Sumire said looking around hastily.

Ryuji started whistling innocently, Makoto and Haru smiled though both were also blushing slightly. Yusuke was holding up his hand and admiring the decor of the bowling hall. Futaba just smirked quietly to herself.

“Hm what’s wrong?” Ren asked Sumire who was avoiding Ren’s eyes.

Futaba grinned once again,

“Mwehehe, nothing to worry about Mr ‘Kind and Caring’” she said.

“Huh what?” Ren confusedly looked around. Everyone laughed, though Sumire seemed to blush even more. “It’s nothing Senpai,” she said in a small voice, now looking at Ren and smiling slightly.

* * *

Before long, their drinks were delivered and set down on the small tables beside the seats. Ann took a long drink from her glass, which was a tropical shade of green and yellow with a red straw on top.

“Wow this is really good,” she exclaimed. Haru and Sumire nodded, as they respectively took a sip out of their glass drinks. It was a tropical fruity drink, with light hints of pineapple accented by the sweetness of a mixture of apple and peaches.

“We ready to start the game then?” Ryuji asked, looking around at them all.

Haru turned to Morgana, “Mona-chan are you sure you don’t want to play?” she asked the cat who was peeking his head out of Ren’s bag and sipping a yellow straw from a small fruit drink Ren had brought him.

“I’m fine Haru, besides the ball might be a bit too heavy for my paws, watching and cheering for you all is just as good,” he said merrily.

Ren stood up, “Well then, without further ado, let us start the game.” The group cheered loudly.

He walked over to a panel near the lane and pressed the glowing start button.

Immediately the lane came to life, at the end, a machine neatly placed 10 pins down in the familiar triangle formation.

The screen at the top of the lane flashed to life, reading 

_“First player get ready, the lane is yours:_ **_Joker_ ** _”_

The thieves all clapped and shouted loudly as Ren walked up to the lane, smiling confidently.

He selected a medium weight bowling-ball from the rack on the side of the lane, then faced the lane, gripping the ball loosely by his side. He then slowly raised it up to his chest, his eyes intent on the pins at the end of the lane.

Even now, Ren could still make use of his 3rd eye ability which had come in handy many times during his phantom thief days. He could see the curve the ball would follow if he threw it in a particular direction and even the pins he would most likely hit. He exhaled, then in one smooth motion, he pulled the ball back and took one step forward with his left leg.

‘I see it,’ he said quietly, as he threw the ball down the lane. With precision and careful aim, the bowling rocketed towards the pins and with a loud bang, made contact.

_The screen flashed with the letters, ‘Strike scored!’_

His friends cheered loudly; Morgana yelled out “Looking cool Joker!”

Ren walked back grinning slightly.

“Excellent as ever Joker” Yusuke said admiringly at his friend, “your technique and form is a pleasure to behold.”

Ryuji cracked his knuckles, “Aw man, that got me pumped, I won’t lose.”

Ann smiled, “I believe I’m next.”

_The screen flashed again, ‘Next player:_ **_Panther’_ **

Everyone cheered loudly as Ann walked up to the lane, high-fiving Ren on the way as he made his way back to his seat. She smiled nervously but her eyes were determined.

“Going after Joker is always rough,” she said smiling at Ren, “though I won’t lose!”

She selected a light sized bowling ball then faced the lane, holding the ball in front of her looking at the pins.

With a light throw, the ball skidded towards the pins in a slightly curved way.

**_BAM_ **

7 out of 10 pins were knocked down. 

“Go Panther!” the girls cheered loudly. Ren heard Morgana mutter next to him, “You’re so gorgeous Panther.” Ann waited for the bowling ball to be transported back to the conveyor belt rack, and picked up the ball once more and turned to the lane, taking a deep breath then throwing her second throw.

Managing to hit an additional pin, making the total of an 8 out of 10 pins now, she walked back grinning.

“Not bad Ann,” Ryuji said, “now it's my turn!”

Ryuji stepped forward, high-fiving Ann on the way to the lane.

_‘Next player:_ **_Skull’_ **

Ryuji selected a slightly heavier ball than Ren, then carried it over and faced the lane.

With a heavy one-handed throw, the bowling ball landed on the lane with a loud slam, where it shot forwards, losing control midway through the lane and only hitting the side pins.

2 out of 10 pins knocked down on his first throw.

“Watch where you’re aiming Skull!” Morgana shouted out.

“I know, I know!” Ryuji shouted, grabbing the bowling-ball off the conveyor belt.

With another heavy throw he managed to knock out 5 more, for a total of 7 out of 10 pins.

“ARGHH” Ryuji shouted, as he rubbed his neck in frustration, “I’ll get it next time”.

_‘Next player:_ **_Fox’_ **

“My turn,” Yusuke said standing up, Ryuji high-fived him on his way back to the seats.

Yusuke crouched down to admire all the different bowling-balls on the rack.

“Hmm this one is aesthetic enough,” he said, choosing a teal coloured ball. He walked over and turned to the lane, holding the ball in front of him as if he was holding a brush up against a blank canvas.

“How do I want to do this…” Yusuke muttered, “A-hah, I got it!”

He drew back the ball, and with a graceful motion like he was drawing a brush, the ball flew forward in a straight line, hitting the centre, leaving 2 pins on either side, knocking a total of 6 out of 10 pins over.

The group clapped, as Yusuke retrieved the ball again for his second throw.

He then slowly rolled the ball across the lane and let it fall purposely into the ball gutters on either side of the lane.

Everyone looked confusedly at each other.

“Ehm Yusuke, you do know the objective is to knock all the pins down correct?” Makoto asked the lanky artist as he made his way back.

“Ah yes, but this formation is much more aesthetic, 2 pin columns on either side creates a perfect symmetrical image does it not?” he asked the group, smiling.

Everyone looked exasperatedly at him, then shook their heads.

_‘Next player:_ **_Queen_ ** _’_

“My turn then,” Makoto said, getting up and high-fiving Yusuke, who was still admiring the pins as they were swept away and reset.

Makoto selected a medium weight ball, then with a powerful but controlled throw, managed to knock down 9 out of 10 pins.

“Nice going Queen!” Morgana shouted

Makoto smiled, then after retrieving the ball, threw out a more controlled throw that curved slightly, managing to hit the last pin with a resounding *thunk*

_‘Last pin knocked down: Spare!” the scoreboard flashed_

Makoto walked back to the group smiling sheepishly as they cheered for her.

“Very impressive Queen,” Ren remarked. Makoto waved her hand dismissively, still smiling, “I’ve been bowling a few times with Eiko, I guess I picked up a few techniques along the way.”

_‘Next player:_ **_Noir’_ **

“I’ll give it my all!” Haru said brightly, as she high-fived Makoto.

Grabbing a heavy sized ball like Ryuji, Haru faced the lane with a similar smile she had when she was fighting shadows.

“Here goes!” heaving the ball, she threw it with a booming crash that shook everyone in their seats as it landed on the bowling lane and rolled quickly into the pins.

_‘Strike!’ the scoreboard indicated with flashing letters._

“Go Noir!” the Phantom Thieves shouted as Haru returned to their seats, flashing a pleased smile at them all, “Thank you so much everyone!”

_‘Next player:_ **_Oracle’_ **

“Time to show off my super move!” Futaba yelled, high-fiving Haru.

She went over to the rack and selected a green bowling ball, holding it in her hand like it was some type of energy sphere.

Facing the bowling lane, she held it with both hands before launching it forward. 

“Spirit Bomb!”

The ball tumbled towards the pins, knocking 5 out of 10 down initially.

“Guess I need to increase the power output on my attack,” Futaba muttered as she retrieved the ball again, getting ready for her second throw. She held the ball with two hands again, facing the lane determinedly.

“Hadouken!” she shouted as he launched the ball forwards, imitating the popular super-move from the fighting game ‘Power Intuition’, a game that Ren and her often played whenever they hung out at Leblanc.

This time, with greater force, the ball shot towards the remaining pins, managing to knock down 3 more pins, making it a total of 8 out of 10.

“Mwhehe, not bad hey” Futaba said looking at the score.

_‘Next player:_ **_Violet’_ **

“My turn then,” Sumire said standing up as Futaba came over to high-five her, “Use your secret moves!” Futaba said supportively as they passed by each other.

Sumire uncertainty looked over the rack of bowling balls, turning some over, and looking at the weight number listed on them.

“It’s her first-time bowling, right?” Ann asked as they watched Sumire hesitating over which ball to pick,

Makoto nodded, “That’s what she told me, should I go help her with selecting a ball?”

“How about Mr Boyfriend go show her the ropes?” Futaba said pointedly looking at Ren.

Everyone turned to look at him as well.

Shrugging, Ren got up from his seat to the cheers of his friends,

“Truly a gentleman” Yusuke said as their leader walked up to Sumire who had picked a very heavy ball and was struggling to carry it back to the rack.

“Here let me Sumi,” Ren said, helping her carry the ball back and placing it down.

“Thank you Senpai, I’m just not sure what ball to use,” she admitted, looking over the wide selection again.

Ren nodded, trying to ignore the catcalls from his friends who were watching them with intent eyes,

“You want to pick a ball that’s just about light enough for you to carry with one hand,” Ren advised, picking up a black coloured ball, “but heavy enough so there’s momentum when you swing the ball forward and release.”

Sumire nodded, “Understood, let’s see here…” she reached out and grabbed a red striped one. She lifted it up and down experimentally, finding it both light enough to hold but heavy when thrown.

“This one seems perfect,” she exclaimed.

Ren nodded approvingly, gesturing her to follow him to the lane,

“Now, for the next step you want to align the middle of your dominant arm to the middle of the lane.”

Sumire positioned herself as he indicated, “Like this?”

Ren looked at her footing, then moved forward slightly, putting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her slightly to re-adjust herself. A chorus of ‘Ooo’s could be heard from the Phantom Thieves.

“There better,” Ren said, seemingly ignoring his friends, “Now put your left leg forward,” he guided her movement with his arms, “and now your right hand back with the ball.”

Ren seemed oblivious to how red Sumire was, not only due to his proximity to her but also due to the fact that he was holding her arms and legs in front of his friends in an intimate fashion.

She took a quick peak at him from the corner of her eye. He seemed perfectly focused on helping her line up her shot. That was one of the things she admired about him, he was never the type to take advantage of situations like these when someone really needed help. Ren was always focused on helping people out whenever they needed it and that’s what drew Sumire to him initially.

“There,” he said after he was satisfied with her position, “give it you all Violet.” He flashed one of his Joker grins and stepped back.

Sumire breathed in deeply, then with a smooth graceful motion, threw the ball in a straight line in a collision course with the pins.

A loud **BANG** resounded, as the ball made contact with the pins, knocking them all down in one motion.

_The scoreboard flashed brightly, ‘Strike!’_

The cheers of her friends sounded out “Wooo go Violet!”, as she turned and began walking towards them with Ren.

“I knew you could do it Sumi,” Ren said grinning.

Sumire nodded, “With your help, I can do anything, remember?” she replied back a bit teasingly. 

Ren looked slightly surprised then nodded, grinning even more now.

“Time for round 2 then,” Ryuji said as they got back to their seat, “I reckon I’ve got my technique down now!”

The game continued on for another hour, with many close calls and angry shouts as balls went flying into the lane, some missing their intended target and others just going straight into the gutter. After a close game between Ren and Makoto, Ren emerged victorious, the final ranking was.

  1. _**Joker**_
  2. _**Queen**_
  3. _**Violet**_
  4. _**Noire**_
  5. _**Panther**_
  6. _**Skull**_
  7. _**Oracle**_
  8. _**Fox**_



“Honestly doesn’t surprise me Joker won,” Ann said as they looked over the final score of the game. Ren shook his head modestly, “Some luck was involved, Queen definitely had me nervous though in the latter half of the game.”

“You definitely played well though” Makoto remarked, “excellent as always Joker.”

Morgana nodded approvingly, “His proficiency with picking up new things never ceases to surprise me, I feel like he could do anything if he put his mind to it”

The thieves laughed, Ren looked over them all and said “Well we still have one game more, shall we do duos?”

“Oh man if we are, I wanna be with you my best buddy!” Ryuji shouted quickly, running over to Ren. 

Everyone laughed at that, “Shall we be a team then Sumire?” Ann asked, “Since your boyfriend was stolen away by that delinquent,” she pointed at Ryuji who had his arm around Ren’s shoulder.

Sumire nodded smiling, “Yes, let’s do it!”

* * *

The other members split off into their respective teams, the final line up was:

**Ren / Ryuji as Team 1.**

**Sumire / Ann as Team 2.**

**Futaba / Yusuke as Team 3.**

**Haru / Makoto as Team 4.**

* * *

“Alright so,” Ren spoke to all his friends gathered, “The way the winning team will be decided be by adding the final score of each teammate together at the end, is that clear to you all?” Everyone nodded in agreement. 

Ren smiled, “Then let the second round begin then!” 

The group played pairs for the next hour. The game started off dominated by Ren’s team, with his masterful precision and Ryuji’s raw power, they were in the lead for the first quarter.

However, Ann’s wild throws along with Sumire’s graceful technique soon caught up. Makoto and Haru however started coming out on top once the game reached three quarters completion, their teamwork made a devastating duo of power and elegance. 

Futaba and Yusuke on the other hand were trailing behind, with Yusuke too focused on knocking down specific pins and Futaba trying outlandish bowling techniques (some of which including throwing the ball backwards much to everyone’s dismay).

In the end, Makoto and Haru achieved victory, with Ann/Sumire coming second, Ren/Ryuji in third and Futaba/Yusuke coming last.

“Truly an artful display of your friendship bonds,” Yusuke congratulated Makoto and Haru as they began packing up their things.

Ren nodded, “You guys really are something, I thought Ryuji and I had that game in the bag.” 

“We’ll get it next time Ren,” Ryuji said a bit dejectedly but still smiling at his long time friend, “need to work on my curve throw and then we’ll definitely have it in the bag!”

“Sumire and Ann definitely made an unlikely great duo though,” Futaba remarked impressively, “it’s like you guys already have an S+ Support level!”

Ann laughed, “Sumire definitely improved massively over the course of the 2nd game, we also had a couple of lucky strikes as well which definitely contributed to us placing second.”

“Ann-senpai definitely contributed more to our combined score though,” Sumire added, “I might have had a couple of throws where I accidentally let go of the bowling ball too early,”

Ann looked at her reproachfully, “Sumire what did I say about being so formal, I’m just Ann to you,” she said cheerfully.

Sumire blinked her eyes quickly, “My bad Ann, it’s hard to break habits,” she said sheepishly.

As they all made their way back towards the entrance, Ren stopped suddenly,

“Sorry guys one second, just going to swing by the bathroom,”

Everyone looked around at each other, “Anyone else need to go?” Makoto asked.

“I think we’re all fine here,” Sumire said looking around at the group.

“We’ll meet you at the entrance area alright?” Ryuji said. Ren nodded, “Be there soon,” then walked back towards the bowling hall. 

He stopped once he was out of view from the group and crouched down, setting his bag down on the floor. 

“Morgana, did you do what I asked?” he whispered to the bag. 

“Yes yes Ren, we should be all set for the next part of the plan,” Morgana replied a bit impatiently.

“Alright, you know what to do once we get to the location right?” he asked Morgana.

“Ofcourse, I’m not some common cat you know!”

Smiling to himself he stood up again, heaving the bag over his shoulder, “Counting on your partner.”

Ren made his way back to the group who were waiting for him at the end of the corridor leading to the large foyer area. 

“Good to go,” he said, and they started walking towards the exit. A few seconds later, Ren heard the distinctive growl of Sumire’s stomach.

“Hungry are we?” he asked, turning to his girlfriend and grasping her hand gently. 

Sumire nodded, “Definitely, bowling works up an appetite after all!” she said light-heartedly.

Haru looked thoughtful for a moment, “Hmm in that case, how about we stop by a family restaurant nearby? A business associate of mine runs it and I’ve heard it’s particularly good,” she suggested with a sunny smile.

“Sounds great, I'm also starving,” Ryuji quickly added with Futaba jumping up and down in agreement shouting “Food?! Yes please!”.

Yusuke nodded as well, “Yes I am also quite famished after our bowling games, some food would be wonderful.” 

“Well that settles it then,” Makoto said laughing slightly, “Haru would you lead the way.”

“Ofcourse,” Haru replied, “everyone please follow me.”

As they exited the entertainment building with Haru in the lead, Sumire drew Ren back slightly till they were walking at the back of the group.

“Thanks again for your help Senpai,” she said earnestly, “I was quite nervous when we first started.”

“I'll always support you Sumi, you don’t have to thank me, really,” Ren said happily, feeling slightly self-conscious.

“Hmm but I think I do,” she said, her eyes glinting with mischief. Sumire leant a bit closer to him and pecked him lightly on the cheek as they walked. 

Ren subconsciously reached up to feel his now flushed face. He said nothing, instead he just squeezed her hand slightly, feeling a warmness spread through his body. She squeezed his hand back in response, leaning a bit closer into him. Together they walked hand in hand, smiling at each other, as they made their way through the afternoon streets of Shinjuku, following in the wake of their friends onto their next destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! I do hope I was also able to capture each phantom thief's bowling play-style as accurately as their fighting-style!  
> Next chapter will finally reveal Joker's plan and the phantom thieves's involvement, I hope you'll continue reading and supporting me. See you all next monday :D  
> Thank you again to Monk Kind and Vitamin for reading through my work and providing me feedback as always.


	4. A Meal of Royal Proportions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Phantom Thieves all enjoy a well prepared meal at a family restaurant of Haru's recommendations. Chaos and laughter soon ensures as a result of some interesting choices made by certain members of the group. Afterwards, Ren's masterplan is finally revealed, and the first steps are laid out for the Phantom Thieves to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, hope you enjoy this chapter. I had fun with writing a dining scene with the thieves and I hope I captured the chaos and dynamic between them all when they go out eating!
> 
> P.S, listening to 'mr. hong & pastels - cafe a.m [lofi album]' is a great way to enjoy this chapter ;)

With Haru leading the way, the retired Phantom Thieves of Hearts find themselves slowly walking through the cold afternoon streets of East Shinjuku at a leisurely pace, talking idly of various things.

“Ann-chan is it true you’ll be starring in the upcoming crime thriller TV-show, the ‘Foggy days of Inaba’?” Haru asked curiously as they were walking.

“Yes I am,” Ann said smiling, “I’ll be playing a minor role though, I’m portraying a high-school student from Yasogami High School in the show, my casting agent got me the role through sheer coincidence really.”

Sumire's eyes lit up excitedly, “Wow, I can’t wait to see it!”

“Lady Ann is going to be starring in a TV-show?!” Morgana shouted, though it was muffled through Ren’s bag, “what if she becomes more popular and guys start to follow her around…” he said this last part in a quiet tone that only Ren seemed to hear.

Makoto turned to Ann, “Ah, I’ve heard of that one, supposedly it's based on a true story about murders that took place in that town a few years back.”

“Hehe indeed!” Futaba exclaimed, “I’ve been following that story for awhile now, supposedly a group of high-school students helped solve the case, though the local police there claimed most of the credit.”

“Sounds like a familiar story,” Yusuke said smiling to himself.

Ryuji grinned, “I reckon we could have solved that mystery as well,” he then lowered his voice, “I mean, we’re the fricking Phantom Thieves after all!”

Ren nodded coolly in confirmation to Ryuji’s words, “No doubt about it”.

The group laughed together in a nervous sort of way, casting eyes around out of habit, to see if anyone was nearby.

“So how did you hear about my role?” Ann asked Haru in a surprised tone.

“Oh, a friend of mine works at the Tokyo TV-station, and I saw a couple of promotional posters featuring your name when I was at the station for an interview,” Haru explained.

The topic gradually shifted to other things as they made their way past the Shinjuku East main street, passing by bland office buildings and standard city scenery.

“I heard recently that one of Yusuke’s paintings was leaving the country to be featured in an art exhibit in Europe,” Makoto said as they crossed over a road.

Ryuji’s eyes widened, “No way, for real?”

Yusuke smiled again, “Yes for real Ryuji, my piece was chosen as one of the art pieces to be presented in a Japanese arts exhibition in Germany, to promote cultural arts in Japan.”

“Amazing achievement Yusuke,” Ren said in an impressed tone, “what piece was it?”

“A piece you’re quite familiar with, you helped me create it after all” Yusuke looked to Ren, “It was, ‘Desire and Hope’”.

Everyone in the group gave an audible ‘ahhhhh’

“Maybe I’ll get a chance to see it when I go abroad later this year!” Ann said excitedly.

“Please do,” Yusuke nodded at her appreciatively, “send pictures as well, I unfortunately cannot go with the painting as I have commitments to the museum here but I hope you get the chance to Ann.”

The group kept talking as they wandered the streets of Shinjuku. It wasn’t long before they found themselves outside a large restaurant, the exterior was a dark wooden colour, with signs outside listing the prices and possible menu items. On the door, in gold letters, the name “Royal Host” was spelled out in elegant writing.

“Wow this place seems really fancy,” Ryuji commented as they stood outside.

Futaba stamped her feet on the ground, “No time to admire the décor Ryuji!” she turned to Haru quickly, “Can we head in now Haru, I’m starving!”

Haru giggled, “Yes, come on everyone.” She opened the door and entered, with the rest of the thieves following her.

The interior was the same oak wood colour as the outside but a lighter and brighter colour. Lustrous plants and warm lighting decorated the corners of the entrance area, creating a modern but natural feel to the restaurant.

“Welcome!” a bright voice called out.

A young woman with brunette hair that was tied up neatly into a pony-tail approached them as they all made their way inside. She was wearing a dark green apron, with a white shirt underneath and long black pants.

“Ah Haru-san, welcome I’m so glad you could stop by,” the young woman said as she spotted Haru.

“It’s my pleasure Hina-san,” Haru said formally with a warm smile, “A table for 8 please if available.”

“Of course,” the woman named Hina said, “one moment please.”

She walked out of the foyer area for a moment.

“Who was that woman Haru?” Ren said as they were waiting.

“Oh Hina-san is a friend I met during a business trip last year,” Haru explained, “she expressed interest in partnering with Okumura foods and we’ve been in contact ever since.”

Hina came back after a few moments, “There’s a table for 8 available, please follow me.”

She led the group through the restaurant, passing by many tables. The restaurant was relatively busy at this point, Ren noticed that there were only a few tables free at the moment, most were occupied by patrons as they ate and talked.

“Here we are,” Hina gestured to a large square table with 8 seats set up symmetrically around near the corner of the restaurant.

“Thank you, Hina-san,” Haru said politely.

The group moved to the chairs and all took their preferred seat. Ren took a seat first, sitting at the end of the table. On his right side was Sumire, Futaba and Yusuke, similarly on his left was Ryuji, Ann, Makoto and Haru was at the other end of the table.

“Just press the button on the side of the table when you are ready to order,” Hina explained.

Ren looked up quickly, “Oh Hina-san could we get an extra chair?”

“Oh of course,” she answered, she quickly tapped a passing restaurant worker on the shoulder, soon enough a chair was brought in next to Ren.

Ren set his bag on the chair, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

“Do you have any recommendations Hina-san?” Makoto asked as she picked up the green menu on the table.

“One of our most popular items on the menu is our special ‘Black Hamburger Steak’ set, anything on the menu however is good, I can guarantee that,” Hina said smiling confidently.

The group thanked Hina again as she left to check on the kitchen, everyone by now had opened the menu and were perusing the items inside.

Futaba let out a delighted noise, “Oh oh! They have fried Calamari here!” as she turned over the menu.

“Senpai look, they have pancakes on the menu here too!” Sumire pointed at one of the menu pages smiling.

Ren winced slightly at her words, “Isn’t having pancakes twice in a day a bit much dear?”

“Aw, true,” she said thinking over his words as she looked through the desert section.

“How about we order it later as dessert and split it?” he suggested as a compromise.

Sumire’s ruby eyes lit up, “That would be great, thank you Ren!”

“Will they be fluffy and delicious though,” a voice said quietly from Ren’s bag. Ren held back the laugh that was building in his throat with great effort unbeknownst to Sumire who was delightedly going through the menu. Morgan popped his head out of the bag, and took a quick look at his surroundings before turning to Ren.

“Ren get me something with fish in it please!” he said, meowing softly.

“Alright Morgana” Ren smiled at his friend, “Keep your head in the back until the food comes though.”

“Ok will do!” Morgana obediently replied, smiling to himself at the prospect of having fish for lunch.

Meanwhile, Ryuji was chatting to Ann as they went through the menu,

“The desserts here seem so good but I should probably order a main menu item first before dessert…” Ann reasoned to herself before finally deciding, “I think I’ll get this special tempura udon, something warm before you have a cold desert is always best!”

“Man that ‘Black Hamburger steak’ set looks good,” Ryuji murmured looking at the picture on the menu. His eyes then fell on the price next to the menu item “WOW 1180 YEN!!??” he groaned loudly.

“Shhh keep it down,” Ann reprimanded Ryuji.

“Sorry sorry,” Ryuji hastily muttered, still eying the steak item on the menu.

“Some of these items are quite expensive,” Yusuke said in a low whisper in confirmation to Ryuji’s words.

Haru smiled, “Don’t worry everyone, Hina-san is providing us a 15% discount for today’s meal as a personal favour to me!”

Everyone exclaimed at the same time, “For real!?”

“In that case” Yusuke said, feverishly flicking through the menu, “I shall have this, lobster donburi!”

“Man oh man, I’m gonna get this Hamburger steak set then,” Ryuji said hungrily.

Futaba joined in ensuring chaos laughing maniacally, “Yakisoba for me!”.

Ren turned to Sumire, “I think I’ll get this Omelette rice then,” Ren said showing Sumire the item on the menu, “with beef sauce and special demi-glace, we can split it with whatever you choose as well if you like.”

Sumire nodded swiftly in agreement, “That sounds really good! In that case I’ll order the ‘Black Hamburger Steak’ set as well.”

Haru turned to Makoto, “Mako-chan what are you thinking of getting?”

Makoto seemed to be in deep thought, “Hmm, I am curious about this hamburger steak set, when we first entered the restaurant, I noticed quite a few diners here had also ordered it.”

Haru smiled at her friend, “Shall we order and try it out then?” she suggested

Makoto nodded, “Yes, let’s do that.”

“I think we’re all ready to order!” Futaba excitedly yelled, almost jumping in her seat.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Haru pressed the button on the side of the table.

Hina made her way back to the table, “Are we ready to order?” she asked, pulling out a notepad from her apron.

Everyone gave their order to Hina who took them down meticulously, nodding along as she wrote down the orders.

“Food will be out in a moment, won’t be long!” she announced smiling at them all. She then went back into the kitchen to deliver the order to the chefs.

A comfortable conversation began to fill the table as they all waited patiently for their food.

“Oh” Ryuji said suddenly as he peered at the entire group.

Ann looked to him, “What’s up?”

Ryuji shrugged, “I just noticed this but this is how we sit whenever we convene for a Phantom Thief meeting or when we’re in the palace safe-room.”

Everyone seemed quite surprised at his observation.

Futaba took a quick look around at everyone’s seating as well, “Huh, nicely spotted Ryuji.”

Ryuji grinned unabashedly, “I have my moments.”

“Anyone else noticed Ren always sits at the head of the table?” Makoto pointed out smiling at the former leader.

Ren rubbed his neck, “Force of habit I guess.”

Haru giggled, “I don’t know why but it makes me feel comfortable when he does.”

“I wholeheartedly agree,” Yusuke declared, nodding his head slowly, “there is something that feels right about it, speaking from my artistic intuition.”

The whole table nodded in agreement as well.

Sumire turned to smile at him, “Looks like I’m not the only one that thinks your presence is comforting Senpai.”

Ren could say nothing at his girlfriends’ statement, instead he just smiled at them all, glad to have been their leader through good and bad times. The conversation drifted off yet again, with the group all laughing and talking happily to each other.

* * *

Before long, their food was brought to the table in a dizzying display of colour and smells.

The hamburger steak set that most of the thieves had ordered was served with neatly cut potato fries, fresh salad and a special brown gravy sauce. The main part of the dish was of course the juicy hamburger steak with a bit of parmesan sprinkled on the hamburger itself.

The other dishes the group had ordered were just as good looking.

Ren’s omelette rice was a combination of golden fluffy egg, with rice, chicken and a beef demi-glace sauce that made the whole dish glow from the light reflecting off the rich sauce.

Morgana’s dish was a selection of grilled fish each prepared and seasoned differently. Ren could hear Morgana exclaim delightfully as he looked over the selection of fish.

Yusuke’s lobster donburi was a combination of rice, a light sweetened soy-based sauce, lobster shredded meat and vegetable tempura all neatly placed in a bowl.

Futaba’s yakisoba was a beautiful combination of slippery sauced noodles, sliced roasted pork, green onions and shiitake mushrooms.

Finally, Ann’s tempura udon was like a rich sea of flavour, with white glistening udon noodles, served with hot crispy tempura.

The entire group was grinning in anticipation. “Thank you for the meal!” they said in unison before digging into the food.

“Aw man, dis’ is so guud” Ryuji mumbled through a mouthful of food.

Makoto confirmed his statement with a satisfied nod as she cut a piece of the hamburger steak and tasted it, “It’s delicious, the steak is juicy but firm, the sauce serves as an excellent accompaniment to meat as well.”

“You can tell they did a good job preparing the ingredients, not to mention the way they cooked it as well!” Haru observed as she ate another bite of the steak.

Yusuke was stuck in a cycle of examining and eating his food at the same time, “Indeed! The flavours are quite ‘on-point’ as the hip kids say!”

Ann turned to look at Yusuke with a mixture of horror and surprise, “Yusuke that was surprisingly accurate, though please don’t say hip kids out loud ever again, for our sake.”

“Mhmm wow, this yakisoba is just as good as the packet kind Sojiro buys for me, perhaps even better!” Futaba announced, slurping down the noodles with great gusto.

Next to Ren, Morgana was slowly eating through his grilled fish which was placed on the chair next to Ren’s bag so that Morgana could reach it, “Hm, masterful preparation and seasoning has gone into this fish!”

Ren smiled at the cat then grabbed a spoon and dug into his omelette rice. The first bite was a mixture of savoury sauce, chicken and fluffy omelette egg. He looked at Sumire on his right, who was already halfway through her hamburger steak, nearly twice as fast compared to Ryuji’s pace.

“Slow down a bit Sumire, be careful not to choke on the food,” Ren advised her in a whimsical tone as he watched her devour the food in front of her.

She nodded quickly, then swallowed, “Don’t worry about me Ren! I am a seasoned professional after all” she joked back at him smiling slightly.

“Oh, that reminds me” Ann said, looking up from her bowl of noodles and turning to Sumire, “I saw a poster the other day when I got off the train, is the next gymnastic meet really going to be held here in Tokyo?”

Sumire, who was already halfway through another mouthful quickly chewed, then said, “That’s right, May the 15th is when the meet starts!”

Ryuji chewed furiously then swallowed the mouthful of hamburger, saying “Ooh, goodluck!” with a gasp as he reached for a cup of water on the table.

“Thank you Ryuji!” Sumire said, before turning her attention to her food and attacking it once more.

A loud clatter sounded out as Yusuke grabbed his bowl off the table.

“Get your goblin hands off my lobster woman!!!” Yusuke shouted loudly at Futaba who had tried snagging a piece of lobster meat with her chopsticks when Yusuke was busy framing his food with his hands.

“Don’t be so stingy Inari!” she teased, holding her chopsticks in a menacing gesture, “I just want to try, just one bite please!”

“No, eat your own food!” Yusuke resisted, as Futaba once again tried lunging for his bowl of rice.

Ren shook his head at the strange display of agility and persistence in front of him by Futaba and Yusuke. His eyes slowly fell on Sumire’s plate, which was now empty.

“Done already?” he asked her amusedly.

“Well yes, sorta,” she answered, her eyes falling on his half-finished omelette rice, blushing slightly

Ren hesitated in an exaggerated way, “I suppose… I can’t finish the rest of my food on my own…”

“Senpai… you just had to ask!” Sumire smiled at him broadly, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Ren laughed, then handed her his plate, watching his adorable partner eat the rest of his meal. This was pretty standard for the couple whenever they went out anywhere. Ren would pretend to hesitate in giving Sumire the rest of his food before relenting and Sumire would happily accept.

* * *

The rest of the meal went by without much incidence (not counting the fact that Futaba had managed to steal a piece of lobster meat from Yusuke bowl and he had retaliated by grabbing some noodles from her plate).

Satisfied with their respective meals, the group sat comfortably in their chairs, enjoying the quiet atmosphere.

“Who wants desserts?” Ann finally asked, looking around at the group.

Sumire’s eyes lit up, she turned excitedly to Ren, “Senpai lets try their special pancake!”

“Alright let’s do that then,” he agreed.

“Uhh, I’m so full I could pass out,” Ryuji groaned, resting his head on his hand.

“Quite a filling meal,” Makoto remarked, taking a drink from her glass of water.

Haru nodded in agreement “It was definitely delicious as well, I shall have to let Hina know to thank the chef for me when we leave.”

Yusuke was busy admiring the content faces of his friends, “A splendid sight indeed, seeing us all so comfortable.”

Futaba shot him an annoyed look, “Speak for yourself Inari, I’ll get you back for stealing my food, mark my words!”

“How dare you, bold words from the original thief!” he retorted back quickly.

“Alright alright settle down,” Makoto said looking at the pair of them.

Yusuke and Futaba quietened down, but continued to eye each other.

Seeing it was the perfect moment as the table settled down once more, Ann had pressed the service button and Hina came over once more with a notepad in hand.

“Hello Hina-san, we would like to order dessert please!”

After moment later, the group was brought their dessert selections.

Sumire and Ren shared a plate of 4 pancakes together which were drizzled in a light chocolate sauce. They were a nice golden-brown colour with a fluffy texture.

“These are really good!” Sumire acknowledged as she started on her second pancake.

“Not as good as yours though dear,” Ren said quietly smiling at her.

Sumire blushed, raising one hand to her face to hide her reddening cheeks.

“Love-birds alert!” Futaba cried out, sticking her tongue out and pretending to gag loudly at the couple.

“Ohh shut up Futaba,” Ren interjected at his younger friend, rolling his eyes at her.

“You guys are so sweet though,” Ann pointed out, “Almost as sweet as this parfait!”

Ann had ordered a matcha parfait which she ate with glee and joy. Makoto and Haru had ordered a strawberry one which they shared together quite happily. Ryuji was still in a food coma and so was too busy groaning with his head on the table.

Futaba and Yusuke grudgingly shared a chocolate parfait. They had both wanted to order it but decided to split it between themselves to save money. Despite that, they both seemed to enjoy it immensely, almost forgetting the tension that had brewed between them.

Ryuji had ordered a cold mocha-like drink which had blended a creamy combination of chocolate and coffee together. He sipped leisurely from, letting out gasp of "Mhm that hits the spot" occasionally with a goofy grin.

After the dessert was done, they all sat and rested for a moment, feeling content and full from combination of desserts and meals they had ordered.

Sumire looked to Ren, “I’m going to head to the bathroom real quick,”

“Of course,” he replied, “we’ll wait here at the table.”

She smiled at him then got up from her seat, stretching slightly before walking to the end of the room where the toilets were located.

Ren quickly turned his attention to the group.

"Just as planned," he said smiling slightly.

“Right on time huh, you know her pretty well Ren-ren,” Futaba said as they watched Sumire go.

Makoto looked curiously at him, “So Ren, what was it you wanted to talk about?”

Yusuke turned his inquiring eyes at him as well, “Yes, I am quite curious as well, Morgana had mentioned at the bowling alley there was something you wanted to discuss without Sumire being there to hear it.”

Ren nodded, “It’s about my 3rd anniversary with Sumire, I finally know what I want to do.”

Ann’s eyes glowed with anticipation, “OH what is it?”

“Is it my ramen eating contest idea!?” Ryuji asked proudly.

Futaba rolled her eyes, “Ryuji, no one would think that is a good anniversary idea!”

“Aw come on, everybody likes Ramen, it's an all you can eat competition as well!” Ryuji said back, trying to defend his idea.

Makoto shook her head, “Anyways getting back on topic…”

“Yes please go on Ren-kun,” Haru said encouragingly.

Ren took a deep breath, then said:

“I want to prepare a figure skating routine for Sumire as our 3rd anniversary gift.”

A silence filled the table, before it erupted with questions ranging from “What!” to “Why?!” to “How?!”

Ren put his hand up placatingly and the group fell silent almost instantly.

His serious eyes turned to look at them, “I’ll go into the why and how later, I can’t do this without you all though, I was hoping I could rely on your expertise once more.”

The group was silent, but small smiles had broken out on their faces.

Ryuji was the first to talk, “Count me in man, through heaven or hell, I’ll be there!”

“Yes, you have supported me through my ‘eccentric’ ideas, you will always have my support!” Yusuke declared proudly.

Nodding in agreement Ann said “I promised I would be there for you Ren, whatever you need!”

“It was you that helped me realise there was more to life than studying hard, I’m with you as well Ren,” Makoto confirmed smiling at him.

“Me too! I’ll do everything within my power to help!” Haru announced happily.

“Mwhehe, leave the navigation to me, I’ll lead us to victory!” Futaba shouted gleefully.

Ren fell silent, he was always amazed at the depth of their bonds as friends.

“Thanks guys, I knew I could count on you, alright here’s our plan, _Phantom Thieves_.”

The group leaned in to hear him better, all eyes were focused intently on him.

“Haru, I need you to look into a private place I can use for ice skating practice, as cheap as you can preferably but anything will do.”

“Leave it to me Ren!”

Nodding gratefully at Haru, Ren faced Makoto,

“Makoto, could you help me research everything I need to know about ice skating, I’ve done as much research as I could but having expert hands would help greatly with the process.”

“My pleasure Ren, if it's research you want you’ve come to the right person” she said nodding.

Ren turned to Ryuji next.

“Ryuji man, I need your help with maintaining my body and stamina, if I’m going to be out skating nearly everyday, I’m going to need a training regimen and diet plan.”

“I gotchu Ren, I’ll whip something up for you,” Ryuji proudly tapped his chest at this statement.

“Okay, next Futaba and Yusuke, you are in charge of choreography, have you heard of the anime ‘Yuri on Ice’?”

Futaba’s eyes lit up like she just spotted a super rare collectible, “SERIOUSLY? I'VE SEEN THAT ANIME LIKE 25 TIMES!” she blurted out quickly. 

Yusuke frowned slightly, shaking his head, “My apologies Ren, I have not heard of it.”

Futaba turned to Yusuke as fast as lightning, “I’ve got the entire anime box-set, come over after this and we’ll watch it!”

“Yes, please do Yusuke, I had a feeling Futaba would already have seen it but I had to be sure,”

“I mean cute dudes figure skating in an anime?! Of course I’ve seen it!” she grinned at him.

“My plan requires you two to be intricately familiar with the choreography of the scene ‘Eros’, I believe you took up figure skating briefly last year Yusuke?”

Yusuke nodded thoughtfully, “Ah yes, I did, I was commissioned to do a piece on the theme of winter and I did ice skating among other things as training to understand the facets of the theme.”

“Good, I’ll be relying on your technical expertise then along with Futaba’s in terms of adapting the routine to real life.”

Lastly, he turned to Ann,

“Ann, I need you to help me design the costume I’ll be wearing for the routine, it has to be glamorous and stylish, preferably something Joker-like,” Ren said the last bit with a faint smile.

“Lucky you, I happen to be friends with a fashion designer that owes me a favour, so just leave it to me!” she assured him.

“Alright, if you’re free tomorrow we’ll meet up at Penguin Snipers at around 1PM for a meeting to flesh out the finer details since Sumi will be at a gymnastics meeting with her coach.”

“Sounds like a plan, Joker,” Makoto confirmed.

“Alright gang, we have about 15 days before the anniversary, we have to steal... sorry I mean we have to get everything ready by then before the deadline!”

Everyone nodded determinedly. Morgana grinned confidently at them all then said,

“Begin operation, _Joker on Ice!_ ”

“YEAH!” Everyone cheered, just as Sumire came back to the table.

“What’s going on here?” she asked tilting her head curiously to the side as she watched the strange scene of everyone half standing up with their hands raised.

“Oh ehh…” Makoto began.

“We were just stretching together,” Ann quickly said, doing her best smile of innocence.

“Right, yes,” Yusuke added in an unconvincing tone, raising his lanky arms in the air and waving them around like noodles.

Futaba stared thunderstruck at Yusuke, apparently at a loss for words.

Haru was trying to hide her giggling.

“Shall we go?” Ren quickly said, standing up and grabbing his bag with Morgana.

“Ehem, yes let us go!” Haru agreed, walking towards the slightly confused Sumire.

The group all got up, and along with Sumire, made their way through the restaurant to the exit.

“So, what was that really about Senpai?” Sumire asked Ren quietly as they made their way through the restaurant.

“Ah, I’ll tell you later sweetheart.”

They reached the paying counter where Hina was waiting for them.

“How was the meal everyone?” she asked looking over them all.

“Amazing,” they all said, grinning.

Hina smiled at them “So glad to hear that!”

They all paid for their respective meals, and soon left the restaurant with Hina seeing them off.

“Please do come by again Haru-san and bring your friends again as well!” she said warmly to her friend.

Haru nodded, “Of course! The meal really was excellent, please thank the chef for me.”

With one last wave, the group exited, once again finding themselves in the Shinjuku streets.

* * *

Ren checked his phone quickly, noticing the time was 4 PM.

“Wow time sure flies by when you’re with friends huh,” he remarked stowing his phone away into his coat.

“Should we call it a day?” Ann said, stretching her arms in the air.

“Yes, I have something to do after-all,” Makoto said smiling mysteriously.

Futaba's eyes lit up, then she nudged Yusuke in the ribs, maybe a little harder than she had intended as he cried out.

“Ouch, woman, are you trying to bruise me!?” he said turning to Futaba and rubbing his sides.

“Inari take me back to the Leblanc, I have something I need to do!”

“Oh... alright, indeed, well we best be off then!” Yusuke said. He tried smiling but it came off as a grimace of pain almost. 

The group laughed, then together they steadily made their way to the Shinjuku train station once again. Before long they found themselves at the platform that diverged into different tracks and stations across the city.

“Thank you all so much for a lovely day!” Haru said smiling at them all.

“I guess we’ll have to disband the party for now…” Futaba said a bit glumly.

They all came together for a group hug, basking in each other’s warmth before separating.

“We have to meet up again soon okay?” Ann said looking at them all.

“Of course, you know where to find us,” Ren said holding up his phone.

"Take care everyone!" Makoto said as she waved at them all.

Ryuji came over to Ren and gave him a rough shoulder hug, “See you later big guy.”

“You too man.”

“Goodbye Lady Ann!” Morgana cried out as they all walked their separate ways. Ann waved at Morgana smiling brightly.

Ren watched them all go with a bit of melancholy. He always felt strange whenever they went their separate ways at the end of the day, including every time they had completed a palace or after concluding a long meeting together.

He then felt Sumire’s arm link with his own.

“I know how you feel, it’s always sad when we part ways,” she said understandingly, holding him close.

“Yeah, I know it’s not goodbye forever but... every parting feels bittersweet for some reason.”

He leaned his head on hers, staring as the city scenery ahead of the station.

“Although, I know that as long as you're with me Sumire, it’s going to be okay,” he said quietly to her.

She turned to look at him, a small smile broke out on her face. Slowly, she leaned in and touched his lips with her own. Sumire pulled back, slightly flushed but smiling warmly at him. It was a smile that always filled his stomach with butterflies.

“Forever and always Ren, I promise.”

Together, arm in arm, they boarded the train together, heading back to the apartment in Yongen-Jaya that they called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading this! I hope you enjoyed that dining scene and the final closing lines, there will be more development with some Figure skating action next chapter hopefully! Please look forward to it :D  
> Interesting note, the restaurant featured in this chapter is real! You can look it up, the menu item featured in the chapter is also one of their most popular items!  
> As always I want to shoutout to Monk Kind! for helping me edit and reading over it, as well as the support from you readers and all the lovely comments you guys leave me.  
> Till next time :D


	5. Ice skating and You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren and the rest of the thieves journey out and begin the first steps to Ren's plan while Sumire is at a gymnastics meeting with her coach. Through some of Haru's connections, Ren's first steps into the world of ice skating can begin and with his friends close behind to support him, he'll surely manage to overcome whatever trials lies ahead to complete his plan for Sumire!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry for the late posting of this chapter. Hope you all enjoy this Ice Skating chapter! I appreciate all your support for those that are continuing to read my story. If you're new, please enjoy!  
> P.S Listening to 'Your smile / My everything [study/sleep/homework music]' by Dreamy on Youtube is a great way to enjoy this chapter ;)

On Sunday morning, the day after the Phantom Thieves outing, Ren awoke suddenly feeling tired both mentally and physically. The previous night, Ren had stayed up late to go over some more Figure Skating videos before he had slept. When Sumire had asked him what he was doing he had told her it was some work he had to do, which wasn’t technically a lie. He sighed softly, before opening his eyes and finding himself staring into a pair of ruby ones.

“Good morning Sumi,” he said, smiling.

“Morning Ren,” Sumire replied back sleepily but smiling back. Seeing that he was now awake, Sumire rolled her body over to him.

He shifted his body slightly as Sumire rolled into his arms. He held her there, with one arm draped over her body. Ren stifled a yawn with his other hand, he rubbed the rest of the sleep from his eyes. Sumire turned to look at him,

“You were up really late huh?” Her tone was bright and energetic as she asked him this.

Ren shook his head, as if trying to clear the sleep from his mind.

“I guess, even after all these years I’m not a morning person…”

Sumire giggled, she then closed her eyes as she leaned into his body more, enjoying the warmth and comfort he provided her. Ren said nothing, he just smiled gently at his cute partner. They lay there for a few moments, taking joy in each other’s presence.

For all the chaos and activity in their day to day lives, these moments were what allowed them to keep trudging on and face reality. After some time had passed, Regretfully, Ren said,

“We should get up and prepare for the day. I wouldn't want you to be late to your meeting with Coach Hiraguchi.”

Sumire nodded, “Right, you should have heard her when I showed up to the practice late last week, she accused you of making me lovesick.” She grinned as she remembered the memory of her coach half-jokingly asking if Sumire would always show up to practice on time if Ren started doing gymnastics with her.

They got up out of bed then started helping each other neatly arranging the sheets before heading out of the room. As they entered the kitchen, out of the corner of his eye Ren saw Morgana hurriedly put away a mouse-toy under his blanket bed. Ren remembered that Haru had gotten it as a present last year for Morgana.

“Oh, morning you two,” Morgana said as he pushed the mouse toy further under the bed of blankets.

“Morning Morgana,” Sumire said sweetly as she went over to where he was lying down to scratch his ear. Morgana didn’t complain this time about the ear scratching like he usually would, Ren suspected it was due to the fact he wanted to draw attention away from the mouse-toy which was badly hidden beneath the blankets.

Ren chuckled to himself as he went over to the coffee bean grinder.

“Sumi, what coffee do you want today?”

“Surprise me!”

Nodding, Ren got to work, selecting a random jar of beans from the cupboard. After 10 minutes he had a fresh pot of Salvadoran Pacamara ready to go.

This particular brew of beans is characterised by its rich aroma and faint chocolate notes, very much like the mocha. At this point, Ren found he had random coffee facts just lying around in his head for better or worse thanks to Sojiro’s influence.

He set two cups down on the dining table along with the steaming pot, before getting to work on breakfast. He opened the fridge and looked thoughtfully inside.

“Shall we have tamagoyaki, miso soup and slices of grilled salmon?” Ren asked as he got eggs out of the fridge.

Sumire stood up enthusiastically, “Sounds delicious!”

“Did someone say salmon!” Morgana piped up from his corner.

Ren laughed, “I guess that’s decided, let’s start, shall we?”

With Sumire’s help, Ren began the preparation for their breakfast. They often cooked together on the weekends when they had time, by this point they were a well-trained pair.

Ren started adding water into a pot he had on the stove, he waited for it to boil before putting some dashi stock powder he had in the cupboard. Lowering the temperature to a simmer, he added in the miso and stirred carefully.

Sumire helped cut up cubes of tofu they had in the fridge which she now added once the soup was ready as Ren set the pot to a simmering temperature.

Ren then went to the rice cooker, measuring out 2 cups of rice and adding it into the cooker. Once he was satisfied there was enough rice, he filled it with water before pressing the start button for the cooking process.

“I’ll begin on the salmon preparation Senpai,” Sumire said as she got a fillet of salmon out of the fridge.

“Sounds good,” Ren cracked two eggs on the edge of a mixing bowl, “I’ll get started on the tamagoyaki then.”

After 15 minutes, Ren and Sumire had finished cooking the breakfast, which was then set out neatly on the dining table. Morgana had 2 slices of grilled salmon in front of him which was placed on a plate, they were a golden brown colour thanks to expert grilling and preparation by Sumire.

Meanwhile, Ren had set out two bowls of steaming white rice for him and Sumire, beside that was a plate of neatly cut tamagoyaki and grilled salmon. To finish it off was a hot bowl of miso soup with cubes of tofu.

Ren, Sumire and Morgana all sat around the table before saying together, “Thank you for the food!”

They ate in relative silence, mostly because they were all hungry. Ren saw Sumire devour the tamagoyaki in a flash before starting on the salmon and rice.

When they were all done, they sat around the table contentedly, sipping Ren’s coffee.

“Thank you guys, for the wonderful meal,” Morgana meowed at the couple, as he lay curled up on the chair.

Ren waved his hand idly, “You’re welcome Morgana, you should thank Sumi, that salmon was all her.”

Sumire blushed before saying “You’re being modest Ren, the miso soup and tamagoyaki were both just as delicious.”

“I’m glad you think that Sumi,” Ren got up and started carrying the plates to the kitchen.

He looked at the clock on the wall, “It’s nearly 9, you said you were meeting your coach at 10, right? You should go get ready.”

Sumire’s eyes widened as her eyes also fell on the clock as well, “Ah you’re right, I need to go shower!”

She stood up and rushed to the bathroom. Morgana looked at her as she exited the kitchen, making sure she was out of earshot before saying,

“Ren what time are we leaving again to meet everyone again?”

“1 PM, we’ll leave the apartment at around noon, that should give us plenty of time.”

He felt the familiar buzz from his phone and pulled it out of his pocket to see who had messaged him.

\----------------------------------------

_**New group chat created by** _ _**Ann Takamaki.** _

_**Group Name : Joker on Ice** _

**Ann** : Hey guys, so we’re all meeting at Penguin Snipers today at 1 PM right?

 **Ren** : Yep, if you can’t make it just let me know

 **Makoto** : I’ll be slightly late, sis said she needed some quick help with sorting out some old case files that have to be organised before tomorrow, I’ll be there by 2 PM

 **Haru** : That’s okay Mako-chan! I’ll be there with everyone at 1 PM. Make sure everyone dresses warmly!

 **Ryuji** : Argh I promised my mom I would come with her to look at some sales they were having, I’ll be late as well, sorry man

 **Ren** : No worries guys, just come if you have time

 **Yusuke** : Of course, I shall be there Ren, shall I escort Futaba there as well?

 **Futaba** : I can make it there myself Inari! I’ll be there!!!

\----------------------------------------

Ren quickly slipped the phone into his pocket before turning to the dishes in the sink, which he started soaking with warm water and rinsing them. After a moment Sumire popped out of the bathroom, drying her still wet hair and wearing her dark gym jacket and pants.

“I’ll be home around 6 PM Ren,” she said as she started packing her gymnastics bag with a water bottle, towel and some energy snacks.

Ren smiled, “Take your time Sumi, I’ll cook dinner tonight.”

Sumire turned quickly to look at him, “Really?! What are we having?”

“Secret,” Ren replied with a finger to his lips.

“Aw you’re no fun Senpai,” she hoisted the bag over her shoulder and walked towards him.

She pecked him lightly on the cheek before saying, “I’m off!”

“Be safe, see you tonight,” Ren said as he waved at her.

“I will!” she exited the door of the apartment with a smile on her face and one last wave.

Ren turned to Morgana as the door closed, “Well we have some time, want to watch the skating routine again?”

Morgana yawned, “I think I’ll take a nap… wake me up when it's time to get up and get out there...” Ren shook his head but couldn’t complain, he went to his laptop to view the figure skating materials again.

* * *

At 13:01 PM, Ren arrived at Penguin snipers, wearing his winter jacket and long grey pants. Morgana was nestled comfortably inside Ren’s bag, wearing Haru’s little jumper she had knitted for him, for extra warmth.

Ren heard the approaching footsteps of a group of people talking excitedly, he turned to see Ann, Yusuke and Futaba all arrive together.

Ren looked at them with a surprised expression, “Didn’t expect to see you all arrive at the same time.” Morgana popped his head out of Ren’s bag to also look at the approaching group.

“We all met each other at Kichijoji station by coincidence,” Ann replied smiling.

Futaba grinned, “Feels like a convenient plot point in a shounen manga!”

“I agree…” Yusuke started to say but was cut off by a large yawn. Ren and Ann looked at him, feeling shocked at seeing him so openly tired.

“Yusuke you hardly ever yawn, what happened last night?” Ann asked, feeling a bit worried for her lanky friend.

Yusuke shook his head, “My apologies, Futaba made me stay up last night watching that anime, ‘Yuri on Ice!’, including the movie adaptions that act as a sequel to the anime…”

“Hey you were just as excited as me when watching it!” Futaba exclaimed loudly stamping her foot to the ground.

She then put on a very good Yusuke impression, “ _The colours! The sounds! What magnificently drawn art! This truly is an anime that captures the complexity and depth of ice skating_!”

Ren and Ann burst out laughing. Yusuke just looked at Futaba with a tired exasperated look.

“I do not sound like that.”

Futaba stuck her tongue out at him, “Oh yes you do Inari!”

They were interrupted by the arrival of Haru, who looked at the scene in front of her with a light smile.

“My, what is going on here?”

“Hello Haru, just the usual you know,” Ann said rolling her eyes with a slight smile on her face.

“Well now that we’re all here shall we head in?” Ren suggested looking over the group, “Makoto and Ryuji will be a bit late but we can start without them for now.”

They all nodded, then followed his lead into Penguin Snipers.

The Phantom Thieves had spent quite a few afternoons and evenings in this establishment. Whether to build their teamwork with each other or to hone their technical skills, they had all played here together, while talking and having fun with each other.

Ren walked up to the sun-glass wearing attendant behind the bar, “Standard game of billiards please.”

“Certainly, that will be 800 yen.”

Ren paid, then grabbing the set of cue balls, he headed to one of the open tables in the area and began setting up.

“It has been quite awhile since I played,” Yusuke commented as he grabbed a cue stick from the rack on the walls.

Ren looked at his friend, “It’ll come back to you, we’re just chatting anyway.”

“Oh oh! I want to start the first shot in the game!” Futaba yelled as Ren handed her a cue stick.

They started the game, all the while, discussing the current progress of Ren’s plan.

“I’ve managed to find you a practising venue Ren,” Haru announced proudly as she took a careful aim and hit a cue ball across the table, sinking it into a hole.

“That’s great Haru, where is it located?”

“In the Akasaka district, its an old ice-rink owned by a Okumura subsidiary company, we were meant to renovate and re-open it this this year but that’s been postponed for now,” she explained, “It’s a bit old but the rink is perfectly functional and you can use it free of charge!”

Ren was quite impressed, “Wow thank you Haru that means a lot.”

Haru waved away his praise, “Please, it was the least I could do.”

“Oh speaking of,” Ann said, moving herself to stand away from Futaba who was waving her cue stick around in wild abandon in frustration after missing a shot, “My designer friend can meet us next week Wednesday if you have time Ren, we can go over the preliminary design of the costume you had in mind.”

“That’s a relief, thank you again Ann.”

“Lady Ann sure has many connections huh,” Morgana remarked.

Like Haru, Ann waved away his gratitude, “Don’t mention it!” she said simply, “You’ve done a lot for us so don’t sweat it.”

Makoto arrived half an hour later, she entered Penguin Snipers looking around before spotting the group at the billiards table near the end of the hall.

“Sorry I’m late everyone,” she apologised as she set her bag down under the table, “What happened while I was gone?”

Ren filled her in on where they stood at the moment with preparation, Makoto nodded as she finished listening to Ren’s update.

“I’ve got a basic guide to figure skating with me here,” she went into her bag and pulled it out, “how about we go to the ice-rink Haru mentioned when Ryuji gets here?”

“Wonderful idea,” Yusuke said, “I think the best way to learn is by doing.”

Ren smiled, “That’s probably the best yeah, don’t expect too much from me though.”

Ann looked worried for a moment, “Wait I don’t have any ice-skates with me!”

Haru shook her gently, “No need Ann-chan, the rink has some skates you can borrow, I’m sure there’ll be enough for all of us.”

“Excellent, now we just wait for Ryuji,” Makoto said, glancing at the clock on the wall.

They waited 10 more minutes before Ryuji arrived, he looked tired but energetic as he walked up to them.

He ruffled his hair as he got closer, “I’m here guys, sorry for being… wait why does it look like you’re already leaving?”

Futaba striked a pose, “We’re going to Haru’s ice-rink to skate!”

“For real!?”

The group laughed at his shock, Ren patted him on the shoulder encouraginly, and together they all walked out of Penguin Snipers.

* * *

With Futaba’s navigating and Haru’s directions, they found themselves outside a relatively small circular building. It reminded Ren of a sports hall, except this was oval in its shape from the outside.

“This is it huh?” Ryuji asked, looking at the slightly run-down building.

“Yes! Please excuse the mess everyone,” Haru said indicating the slightly run-down exterior. She pulled out a key from her purse then unlocked the front door. They stepped inside the surprisingly warm interior.

The entrance chamber inside was a square room, with a counter on each side where you would pay the entrance fee. To the right and left were the changing rooms and toilets. Straight ahead, were the doors leading to the ice-rink itself.

An elderly man was sitting at one of the counters, he had a weathered but kind face, with fading brown-grey hair on his head that matched his brown eyes.

“Okumura-san,” the man said as she stood up, “welcome, are these the friends you mentioned?”

Haru nodded, “Hello Tanaka-san, yes these are my friends.”

The man named Fujio Tanaka, bowed politely to the group, “Welcome to ‘Tanaka Ice-rink’, it’s been awhile since we had customers.”

The group came forward and greeted Fujio-san warmly, “Thank you for having us,” they said together.

“Fujio-san, is it okay if we use the rink right now?” Haru asked after they had finished their introductions.

The man nodded, smiling, “Of course, I’m assuming everyone here needs to borrow a pair of skates? What sizes are everyone?”

After they had given their sizes, Fujio went to the store room to retrieve the appropriate pair for everyone.

“So is Yusuke the only person with ice-skating experience?” Ren inquired to the group as they waited.

They all nodded their heads, except for Ann.

“I’ve got a tiny bit of experience,” Ann responded, “when I used to travel abroad with my parents, I did some ice skating, but only for fun.”

“The concept seems simple enough when I read over the book,” Makoto said thoughtfully, “I’m sure in actual practice though it’s a lot harder than it looks.”

Old man Fujio soon returned, with a box of ice-skates for the entire party.

After grabbing the pairs they had specified, Fujio led them through the main doors into the rink. As soon as they stepped through the doors, the temperature seemed to drop immediately.

“It’s like we teleported into some ice domain!” Futaba said with chattering teeth.

Ryuji zipped his sports jacket up, “No kidding, it's freezing!!”

Ren could feel vibrations from his bag, most likely from Morgana who was shivering from the sudden drop in temperature despite being inside Ren’s bag.

Fujio-san let out a small chuckle as he led them to the central area, “You get used to it, you’ll feel a lot warmer once you get skating.”

The Ice-rink was a large circular hall, with 90% of the room dominated by the ice-rink itself, the last 10% was reserved for the seats around the rink, as well as the walking area to get to the skating area. A wall of sorts, rising to about the height of their chest, separated the ice rink from the walking area.

“This is where you can put on your skates before you head onto the ice,” Fujio explained as they got to the gap in the wall where they would enter the rink from.

“If you have any questions please let me know, enjoy,” he bowed once more, then began making his way up to the reception desk once again.

The group all sat down on the stands, and began putting on their skates.

Morgana’s voice called out from Ren’s bag, “You should have left me in the entrance hall, it was so nice and warm there!”

“Hey it’s important for you to watch me skate,” Ren explained as he tied this skates on his legs, “I’m going to need some of your insight as well even if you don’t know much about figure-skating.”

He heard Morgana grumble, “I guess you have a point.”

As they were all getting ready, Yusuke decided to give everyone some quick pointers.

“Make sure you skates are tied correctly and securely to your feet,” Yusuke reminded the group as he showed them how to tie laces, “if you tie it too tightly, it can stop blood flow. Making it too loose and it will not support your ankles enough which can create injuries when you fall.”

Ryuji looked down at his own skates, “Makes sense, might have tied mine too tightly, I can barely feel my right foot…”

When they had all finished putting on their skates, Yusuke was the first one to stand up, he awkwardly waddled to the rink before turning to everyone.

“This is how you walk when you’re on a solid surface, like a penguin as my old instructor would say, try it everyone.”

Everyone imitated Yusuke and waddled forward together.

Futaba, who had waddled a bit too enthusiastically, lost her balance and tumbled forward. Unfortunately, this created a chain reaction as she was at the back of the group. Futaba ended up falling into Ann, which made her tumble into Ryuji, who fell into Ren, who crashed into Makoto, who stumbled into Haru.

They all fell to the ground in a heap, groaning, the only person still standing was Yusuke who looked at them with a mildly amused expression.

“I think it's accurate to say you all fell down like... Bowling Pins,” Yusuke said smiling at them.

“Sorry…” Futaba mumbled as she lay on Ann.

“It’s okay…” Ann replied trying to get up.

Makoto winced, “Careful steps everyone,” she cautioned the group when they had all managed to get up.

Ren thought he might have heard his leg pop slightly when he first fell, “You can say that again…”

Haru giggled, “Well, at least we’re enthusiastic!”

Next, Yusuke guided everyone onto the ice, “The most basic thing you should know is the wall around the rink is your support, hold onto it whenever you first get onto the rink if you’re a beginner or if you need to stop and rest.”

Once they had all grabbed hold of the wall, Yusuke started showing them the basics of ice-skating.

“This form here,” he squatted down, with his arms forward, “is the falling position, if you feel yourself losing balance, go into this form.” Yusuke then started demonstrating the concept to the group.

He leant forward and put his hands out. As he started falling, his outstretched hands hit the ground stopping himself. With a fluid motion, he pushed himself up into a standing position again, bringing his skates forward with this body as he did so to balance himself out.

The group clapped enthusiastically. Yusuke smiled, then continued his impromptu lesson.

“Next is how to stop yourself skating,” he got closer to the group to show them the movement of his skates, “position your feet together, then push your feet apart, with one sticking out sideways, this will cause you to lose momentum and eventually stop yourself,” Yusuke continued to explain to the group.

“Now, basic movement is called gliding, first slide one foot forward, while using the other to propel yourself forward by kicking off the ice in a sweeping motion.”

Yusuke demonstrated this, as he skated forward in a slow motion to show the group. He slid this left leg forward, then his right leg skimmed along the ice before it was lifted off the ground.

“Continue to do this to skate forward, the most important thing is you get comfortable with this movement, please have a try everyone, skate clockwise with the rink.” He then set off, skating slowly as if dancing to music.

The group all looked at each other in nervous anticipation, then together they left the comfortable support that was the outer wall and started moving awkwardly on the ice.

Ann, who had prior experience, took some time to get used to moving on the ice again. After a few moments, she seemed to remember some of her previous training as a child. Her movements which started off as halting became elegant and smooth like Yusuke’s.

Futaba was moving her feet forward and backward as if the increased foot movement would propel her faster. All it did was cause her to move a few steps forward and a few steps back. She seemed to be making progress though, as she would soon launch herself forward with one large kick off and use that momentum to keep moving forward although haltingly.

Ryuji seemed to grasp the gliding quite quickly, yet his movements were not as elegant but rather forced, as if he was a monkey on a tight-rope. He also struggled quite a bit with stopping himself as he launched into higher speeds. Ren saw him often crash into the wall with a groan, yelling out whenever he tried to stop himself from moving forward too fast.

“You’re moving too quickly Ryuji, slow down!” Morgana’s voice called out from the stands as he watched them.

“I know!” Ryuji shouted back, massaging his slightly bruised head.

Makoto and Haru moved at slow paces but both seemed to grow quite comfortable moving on the ice as they skated around the rink. Haru had the grace of a ballet dancer, as she moved her feet forward in rhythmic motion. Makoto’s moves were more precise, she still smiled nervously, sometimes stopping and holding onto the wall around the rink for support before kicking off again.

Ren, despite his high proficiency and skill at picking up things quickly, found himself struggling with ice-skating. It was a strange feeling, standing on two thin pieces of metal that was supposed to glide you along the ice underneath you. He felt a slow panic build within him, how was he supposed to master a professional routine by the anniversary date?

He took a deep breath and calmed himself, ‘Focus on the now, not the end goal’ he thought.

Breathing in the cold air, he let it fill him, a familiar calm sensation took over him. Ren gently moved, one leg at a time. He glided forward, slowly but surely, and every time he started to lose balance he thought about his gymnastics lessons with Sumire back during their high school days.

‘It’s about centering yourself and looking up, focus on that Senpai!’

Ren looked up now; his feet slowly began to move on their own as they got used to the sensation of skating. He started building up speed, and as the cold air hit his face as he skated, he realised something.

Skating was about feeling the ice beneath you, and letting it carry you as you glided along its cold smooth surface.

The sensation of freedom built within him as he glided on the ice, as if the faster he moved, the faster his worries would melt away, lost in the movement of his body as he skated.

Ren felt free as he glided along the ice, his mind lost in the beauty of it all.

\---

The group skated around till 4:30 PM, which by the end of it, the majority of them had developed blisters on their ankles and had soon retreated to the benches around the rink.

“I should have warned you all sooner,” Yusuke said as they sat on the stands messaging their feet, “first time skaters will often experience blistering around the ankles when skating.”

Ren shrugged, “I read about it online but I didn’t realise it would be this bad… hope Sumire doesn’t notice.”

Morgana nodded in agreement, “Wear socks when you’re at home Ren, that should cover the blisters.”

“Arghh, good thing track season is currently on break,” Ryuji said looking over his ankles which were red.

Ann sighed, “Yeah, luckily I have no upcoming photo shoots so these blisters shouldn’t be too much of a problem, still hurts though.”

“Hope Sojiro rewards me or something for trying out ice-skating! I bet he’ll be freaked out when he learns I did that hehe,” Futaba said a bit smugly as she started untying her skates.

“Well then shall we head home?” Makoto asked the group.

“Yes, one thing I’ve learnt from is that it’s given us a good experience for what Ren will be going through for the next 2 weeks or so,” Ann said looking at her friend with an expression that was both worried and amused.

Everyone laughed and Ren shook his head, “Well at least you’ll know my pain.”

“You’ll make it Ren,” Yusuke assured him, “You’ve made great progress, for tomorrow’s lesson we’ll focus on refining your movement before we move into jumps.”

“Thanks Yusuke… looking forward to that.”

They all got up after they had put on their normal shoes, wincing slightly in pain as they made their way to the entrance.

The group all let out a sigh of relief as they once again entered the heated entrance area. They found Tanaka-san doing a crossword puzzle at the counter, he looked up as they approached him, smiling gently.

“Hope the ice-rink was to your liking, how did you find ice-skating?”

Everyone grimaced slightly, feeling more aware now of their ankle blisters than ever before.

“You get used to it,” Tanaka said bracingly, “Come whenever you feel the need to skate, Okumura-san has informed me to let the rink be open for you when you come.”

They thanked Tanaka once more, before making their way outside. The orange rays of the sun could be seen in the horizon as the evening settled in. Ryuji waddled slightly as he walked down the street.

“Oracle, take us to the shortest route to the station, my feet are tired…” he asked Futaba, letting out a sigh.

Futaba nodded, “Leave it to me! Inari, carry me, you’re the only one that hasn’t got blisters like us.”

Yusuke turned to her, his mouth slightly open, “Woman, the station is at least 2 blocks from here, I can’t carry you that far!”

“Yusuke, are you implying that I’m too heavy to carry!?” Futaba exclaimed her eyes wide in mock outrage.

“It's going to be a long walk…” Ren said, smiling to himself. Haru, Makoto, Ann and Ryuji laughed at Ren’s comment. Slowly, they all made their way back to the station, with Yusuke and Futaba arguing in the background.

* * *

Ren arrived back at his Yongen-Jaya apartment at 5:15 PM. After saying goodbye to the group at the station, Ren arranged to meet Yusuke and Makoto again tomorrow for another lesson.

“It’s going to be a long 15 days huh,” he said to no one in particular as he opened the door to the apartment.

“You’ll manage somehow Joker,” Morgana encouraged him as they got inside, “you always do after all.”

“Thanks Morgana.”

When he was inside, Ren got changed out of his damp clothes, putting on a fresh grey T-shirt and long pants instead. He made his way to the kitchen, clicking his tongue as he pondered to himself.

“Time to prepare dinner before Sumi comes home.”

He had already decided what he was going to make. Opening the cupboard and the fridge, he grabbed out garlic, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and sausages. Setting them on the kitchen counter, he went and grabbed a large pot which he filled with water before putting it on the stove and turning on the heat

“What are you making Ren?” Morgana asked him curiously as he sat on the kitchen benchtop tilting his head slightly as he watched Ren cook.

“You’ll see, it’s a recipe I’ve always wanted to try.”

He got out a packet of spaghetti from the cupboard, and once the water in the pot had started boiling, he added the spaghetti.

Ren heard the door to the apartment open, and shortly Sumire came into view.

“Hello Sumi, how was your day?” he asked as he stirred the spaghetti around inside the pot.

“It was really good, Coach and I were just discussing my upcoming routine for the meet with some other professionals, I got some really good feedback!”

She came over and looked at what he was preparing.

“Ooo looks good, anything I can help?”

Ren shook his head, “Go shower and sit at the table, food will be ready in 20 minute.”

He heard Sumire’s distinctive stomach growl as he said this.

She smiled shyly, “Okay, will do!”

Sumire went off into the bathroom as Ren turned to the ingredients on the kitchen-top. He got out his cutting board and started slicing all the ingredients out. 

Grabbing a pan, he set that on the stove beside the spaghetti pot and set the temperature to high. Once the pan had reached a hot temperature, he added a dash of olive oil, before adding in the garlic, he sautéed this for a few minutes before adding in the onions and repeating the process.

“Mhm that smells good!” Morgana said as Ren browned the onions.

Ren then added the rest of the ingredients, first the sausages, then the bell peppers and mushrooms. He let the ingredients cook for a bit, adding a pinch of salt and pepper. He then got out a bottle of ketchup, adding a full spoon’s worth of it into the pan along with a bit of Worcestershire sauce.

“Oh, I think I know what you’re making,” Morgana said his head tilting from side to side.

When the spaghetti was done, he added it into the pan, mixing the sauce and the spaghetti together. He quickly went over to the fridge, getting out some milk, which he added a small splash off into the pan.

At this point Sumire had finished her shower and found herself back in the kitchen where a delicious smell was wafting from pan Ren was stirring.

“Sumi, could you get out some plates for us?”

Nodding enthusiastically Sumire went and got out 3 plates with forks, setting it out on the table.

Ren brought over the pan and with a pair of wooden tongs, started adding equal amounts to each plate. When he was done, he proudly said, “Here we are, a hot plate of Neapolitan Spaghetti, Joker-style, please enjoy!”

“Looks amazing Ren,” Sumire complimented him as she admired the red tinged noodles in front of her.

“Thank you for the food!” Sumire and Morgana both loudly exclaimed before digging in enthusiastically. The Neapolitan spaghetti was light, sweet and tangy. The ketchup based sauce allowed the dish to have a sweet side to it while the bell-peppers and sausage provided a good contrast that balanced the dish out perfectly.

“Delicious!” Sumire said between bites.

“Where did you learn this recipe?” Morgana asked Ren as they ate.

“Yoshida once invited me to a western style family-restaurant, this was one of the popular items on the menu, it’s super simple but also really good, Yoshida explained how to make it to me when we were there,” Ren explained, savouring each bite of spaghetti.

Sumire soon asked for seconds which Ren obliged happily, having prepared more than he normally would to account for his girlfriend’s appetite.

When they had finished, Morgana had fallen fast asleep on the table. Sumire sat comfortably beside Ren, holding a hot cup of coffee that Ren had brewed for them after the meal.

“Thank you for cooking Ren, your food is always amazing.”

Ren felt his chest lighten up considerably, “Thanks Sumi, I’m glad you liked it.”

She smiled then sipped the cup of coffee, “So what did you get up today?”

“Oh ehm,” he said unsurely, “Morgana and I did some errands in town, we then ran into some of the group members and played billiards.”

“Oooo billiards, at Penguin snipers?” she asked, taking another sip from her cup.

“That’s the one, we’ll definitely have to go as an entire group though when we can.”

She nodded at this, “That would be nice.”

They chatted for awhile, just enjoying eachothers company more than anything.

Sumire eventually yawned, covering her mouth as she did so.

“You should head to sleep; you’ve got classes tomorrow at the university, right?” Ren said putting an arm around her shoulders.

She nodded sleepily, then turned to him, “You’ve been sleeping pretty late yourself recently.”

“Yeah, just some work I have to look over.”

"So.. tonight you're also going to be sleeping late?"

Ren didn't know what to say, "I mean..." 

She said nothing for a bit, then without looking at him, in a small voice said,

“C-c-could… you sleep early… this time?”

Ren felt his heart skip a few beats as those words reached his ears. Sumire was still avoiding his eyes but she held onto him tightly. 

“Of course Sumi…um shall we?” he said, feeling his cheeks flush as he stood up and offered her his hand.

Sumire got up as she took his hand, together they made their way to their room, painfully aware of each other's racing hearts as they closed the door gently behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed that chapter as much as I did writing it!  
> I apologize if there wasn't a lot of Sumi/Ren moments, I promise there will be more in the upcoming one!  
> The ice skating tips listed in this chapter are genuine! I wanted to make sure it was accurate for those that had tried ice skating and entertaining for those that haven't.  
> The cooking steps in the chapter are accurate if you wanted to try to follow them! Neapolitan spaghetti is a western-inspired japanese classic in diners, I encourage you all to try it out if you find yourself wanting to cook something easy but nice.  
> Thank you all again for your support, sorry again about the late chapter, I'll see you all next Monday :D  
> Also, thanks to Monk Kind for clarifying some things to me during this chapter and to you, the reader!


	6. It's the little things that matter the most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a late night, Ren flashes back to a distant memory he keeps close to his heart, it reaffirms why he's doing all this. Waking up, tired and sleepy he throws himself into training once more with the countdown ticking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, this chapter is brought to you by wholesome writing and figure skating terminology. I hope you all enjoy the interactions this chapter!  
> P.S. Listening to 'Jordy Chandra - Coffee Evening' is the most optimal music for the first part ;)  
> For the second part, feel free to listen to, 'side streets. [lofi / jazz hop / chill beats]' by The Jazz Hop Café

**_3 years ago…_ **

**_March 14_** ** _th,_ ** **_on ‘Valentines / White-Day’_ **

_A dazzling sight of light and colour filled Ren’s view as he looked outside the Restaurant window. He could see the Tokyo sky tree, its blue glittering light accented by the soft colour of purple light that shined everywhere across the entire city._

_It was amazing how much warmth and comfort the view brought him, but he realised it could never compare to the person sitting next to him. Sumire’s eyes were glued to the sight, he could see how her lips formed a subtle smile of delight as her eyes scanned the stunning lights of the city._

_It hadn’t taken him long to notice that about her, but everything she did sparkled, like rubies underneath a bright beam of light. The way she walked with a small hop whenever she was excited._

_The way her brows would furrow whenever she was deep in thought._

_Everything about her glowed for Ren, and it was in this moment he realised how much he really loved her…_

_Sumire noticed he had been staring at her intently. She clutched the roses he had given her more tightly as she looked back at him. She opened her mouth with uncertainty,_

_“We uhm… still have some time left tonight so…”_

_She took a deep breath, trying to calm her rising heart rate._

_“Can I stay with you, just a little longer?”_

_Ren smiled, nodding slowly, “Of course, you can stay with me as long as needed, tonight is our night Sumire,” he reminded her warmly._

_She didn’t blush at this, instead her eyes sparkled once more and she reached a hand out for his, nodding softly. He grabbed it gently, holding her hand in his hand._

_“Shall we go out for a walk somewhere?” he suggested, seeing couples around them getting up and starting to leave._

_“Yes, that sounds lovely Senpa…. I mean, Ren.”_

_Hearing her say his name in such a heartfelt way made him almost tumble out of his chair as he felt his knees buckle._

_‘Get it together Joker,’ he thought inwardly._

_He stood up, still holding her hand, and began leading her out of the door of the restaurant._

\------------------

_They emerged out into the cold streets from the restaurant into an open area that branched out into different paths of high-end Shinjuku. Trees and bushes decorated this area that were all shining with lights that workers had put in them. Ren noticed there was a slight chill in the air. ‘It is still March after-all he thought,’ he noticed now that Sumire was only wearing a grey-white cardigan. Quickly taking off his jacket, he put it around her shoulders._

_Sumire’s eyes widened, feeling a slow blush on her cheeks “Ren…” she started worryingly._

_“Sumire you’ll catch a cold in this wind, don’t worry about me, look,” he pointed at this white button up shirt, “I’m feeling warm anyway with this shirt.”_

_To Ren, it looked like she was about to open her month in disagreement but closed it, she smiled instead gratefully “Thank you, where should we go?”_

_“This way,” he pointed out into a main street that led further into the district, “there’s a place I want to show you.”_

_They linked arms, with Sumire holding her roses in one arm and Ren’s in the other. Together they began walking down the path Ren had pointed too._

_“There are so many people out,” Sumire noted as they passed by busy shops and restaurants, all crowded with couples from what Ren could see._

_“It is white-day after all sweetheart,” he said grinning at her._

_“Sweetheart?” she asked surprised,_

_“Oh… I thought it would be a cute nickname for you, you don’t like it?”_

_Sumire quickly shook her head, once again feeling her face blushing, “I like it a lot! It just surprised me is all…” she leaned in closer to him as they walked._

_Ren nodded, feeling relieved, “I’m glad to hear that… darling.”_

_Sumire pouted, “Ren… If you come up with anymore cute nicknames for me, I might permanently turn red,” she said blushing furiously._

_After walking for about 10 minutes, talking of various idle things, they found themselves facing the Sumida River. This river ran through Tokyo and branched from another river further inland from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi. The city of Tokyo has been said to have sprung up from this river._

_There was a path here along the riverbank you could walk, the trees were all decorated with a soft golden light that almost lit a path for any pedestrians._

_“Wow it’s beautiful,” Sumire said admiring the lights that reflected on the calm river surface._

_“Let’s take a seat here,” Ren gestured to a bench near a lit tree that faced the river. Sumire and him walked over and sat down, looking out at the still river, with the nearby lights bouncing gently on the reflective surface of the water. Ren felt her scoot closer to him._

_“You know, sometimes I still can’t believe this is real,” Sumire said softly, staring out into the river._

_Ren turned to look at her curiously, “What do you mean?”_

_She seemed to think on this, “Well, you being here, with me, supporting me, caring for me… and…” she trailed off for a bit, then turned to look at him in the eye, “and... loving me.”_

_Ren said nothing, he smiled at her tenderly and put an arm around her as he pulled her in closer._

_A moment passed between them as they shared in each other’s embrace,_

_“To be honest Sumire,” Ren began, his eyes now on the river . “Sometimes I don’t know if this is real either.”_

_Sumire turned to Ren with disbelief on her face._

_“I… after all we’ve faced, sometimes I’m afraid of waking up and not finding you there by my side…” he said honestly, “like one day it will all be taken away.”_

_“Ren…”_

_He smiled bitterly, he knew he was bringing down the mood, considering tonight was supposed to be their night._

_“But,” he continued on “I promise you, whatever the stars have in store for us, I’ll never let another ‘What-If’ pass me by, especially when it comes to you, I’ll always be there for you, no matter what happens.”_

_He said this last part with conviction that was both gentle and firm._

_Sumire felt as if her heart might burst at his words, “I feel the same way Ren, I really do” she said in agreement to his heartfelt words. She slowly reached out and put a hand on his face. Ren felt his eyes widen in surprise at her touch, her hand was warm, warm enough that he felt like his face was melting under her touch._

_"I_ _love you Ren."_

_Just three words, that's all they were. To Ren however, it was the three most important words he could hear right at this moment._

_She leaned in slowly and he felt her lips on his. Even should the world stop now, causing them to be locked in this moment forever, Ren knew it would have been okay. For in this moment he wasn’t a phantom thief, a wild card or the so called ‘trickster of fate’. He was just a boy in love, and the girl in front of him had completely, and utterly, taken his heart._

_They parted, and Ren could still feel his heart beating a million miles an hour. They sat together, completely alone, watching the river in front of them. Unspoken words passed between them, words that didn’t need to be said out loud as they leaned on each other._

_“You know,” Ren began, “uhm, well Sojiro said he would leave the shop to me today, did you want to stop by Leblanc for a coffee?”_

_Sumire flashed another warm smile, “I would love that Ren, although,” her tone took on a more teasing note, “I wonder what my parents would think of a boy bringing a sweet maiden home to his place especially on white-day?”_

_Ren smiled confidently, “You wound me darling! I would never lay a finger on you, unless… you wanted me too?” he said the last bit just as teasingly as she had._

_Sumire blushed wildly at his, “I mean… I ehm… never said…”_

_“Shall we go?” he interjected, standing up and offering her his hand once more._

_She sighed in a dramatic way, still smiling nonetheless, she took his hand and together they made their way along the riverbank, with the moon above them shining brightly as if they were the only two people left in the world…_

* * *

_**Present day** _

“Ren… wake up darling!”

Ren opened his eyes, and found himself looking into Sumire’s smiling face.

“What? But what about… coffee at my place?” he said in a dazed tone.

“Senpai what are you talking about?” she replied giggling softly.

Ren took a moment to look around, he was back in their apartment. He wasn’t wearing his white dress shirt but was instead shirtless. He shivered slightly from the cold air in their bedroom.

“You were muttering in your sleep you know,” Sumire noted taking a seat on the bed beside him. He noticed she was dressed in jeans, a red jumper, with her hair flowing freely behind her.

“Oh, did you hear what I was saying?” he asked her curiously, stretching.

He noticed Sumire’s cheeks redden slightly, “You were… saying my name in your sleep Ren.”

“Oh…”

Sumire laughed again, “Even in your sleep you’re thinking of me huh,”

Ren rubbed his eyes, “I can’t help that my girlfriend is such a beauty,” he said defensively in a light humorous tone.

She leaned in and pecked him on the cheek when he said this, she giggled again, “I have to go to my morning classes now Senpai, I just came to wake you up, you seemed quite tired after yesterday.”

He winced slightly, “Sorry… I didn’t have time to make you coffee this morning.”

She shook her head, and in a warm tone said, “Don’t worry about that Ren, I made you breakfast actually and some coffee! Please have some before you head to class today.”

Standing up, she went over and grabbed her bag, putting her laptop inside from her bed table. “I’ll see you tonight, I’m running a bit late, to be honest I also woke up later than I usually would,” she said, feeling a bit embarrassed herself.

“Quite unexpected Miss Honor student,” he stood up and went over to her to give her a small hug, “See you tonight Sumi.” She hugged him back then with a small wave walked out of the room and towards the door.

“I’m cooking tonight okay!” she called out from the hallway.

“I can’t wait!” Ren called back smiling whimsically.

“Goodbye Morgana!” Sumire said as she opened the front door.

Morgana replied “See you when you get back home Sumire!”

Ren put on a grey shirt as he heard the front door close. After dressing, he headed to the kitchen where he found morgana sitting on the dining table eating an onigiri from a small plate. He noticed there was another larger plate of onigiri on the table all neatly placed in a circular formation, along with a hot cup of coffee next to Ren’s plate.

“Morning sleepy head,” Morgana greeted Ren as he took a seat at the table.

Ren nodded, “Morning Morgana,” he grabbed the cup and took a slow sip. “Hmmm… it's Colombian Narino,” he noted as he set the cup down, feeling the warm coffee slowly re-energize him.

“Impressive as always Ren, I was wondering if you could tell what that flavour was,” Morgana complimented him, taking another small bite of onigiri.

“Well… the Narino bean itself has a creamy, viscous body that coats the mouth with fruity and nutty flavour,” he recited word for word from what Sojiro had taught him.

“Wow you sounded just like the chief!” Morgana laughed along with Ren who had spilled some coffee over the table in the moment.

\------------------

Sakura Sojiro, felt a chill crawl up his spine. He shivered slightly as he stood at the Leblanc front counter grinding beans in preparation for today’s customers.

“Feels like someone is complimenting me while making fun of me? Hm…” he said stroking his beard.

“Sojiro!!! I’m going to be late for school; I NEED CURRY!” Futaba shouted out from her seat at the bar.

“Alright geez, one plate of Leblanc curry coming right up,” he said smiling, turning to the kitchen and getting out a plate for Futaba.

\------------------

After re-energizing himself with Sumire’s coffee, Ren reached forward and took an onigiri, taking a bite and feeling a savoury salted flavour fill his mouth.

“Hm, this is salted salmon,” Ren said, looking inside and seeing the diced salmon in the rice ball.

Morgana nodded happily, “Yes! I requested some salmon onigiri and Sumire was happy to make some since we had some salmon leftover.”

“You’re letting her spoil you Morgana,” he reprimanded his friend lightly, smiling.

“Ah, only sometimes!” Morgana replied back warily, “She said she also wanted some so it’s a win for both of us, right?”

Ren felt a laugh escape his lips; he shook his head at his feline friend then took another sip of coffee.

“So, what’s the plan today Joker?” Morgana asked curiously, finishing up his onigiri and licking the plate clean.

“Hmm, I’m meeting Yusuke today after my classes for more practice before we move onto more advanced stuff, then on Wednesday Ann is meeting me with her fashion designer friend,” he took another onigiri after finishing his first one and bit into it, tasting pickled plump between the rice.

“Busy week then, well if it’s alright with you I’ll stay home today, might review that scene again with the routine…” Morgana stretched and hopped down from the table.

“That’s fine, take care at home okay?” Ren started getting the plates together for washing and putting the leftover onigiri into the fridge.

“Of course! I’m not just some cat… well I guess I am but you can trust me!”

Ren laughed, “Always do Morgana, now I should start getting ready…”

After a quick shower, Ren had put on a white shirt, long dark pants and a grey coat before slinging his bag (which was considerably lighter without Morgana) over his shoulder. He began heading towards the door.

“Don’t forget thicker socks or an extra jumper if you’re going to visit the ice rink later,” Morgana reminded him from the couch.

“Oh right, thank you Morgana,” Ren went back to the bedroom and grabbed a jumper along with a pair of socks.

Ren started putting on his shoes, “I’ll see you at home okay, tell Sumire I’ll be late because of ‘work,’ you know what it is.”

Morgana nodded, “Of course, see you when you get back Ren!”

Ren waved, then opened the door and stepped out into the cold winter air once more. He walked to Yongen-Jaya station, treading the familiar path he usually took on the way there, passing my cafes, cherry blossom trees and small suburban streets.

He arrived at the station, feeling cold and numb. He rubbed his hands to try to get some semblance of feeling back in them. Ren felt a small tap on the shoulder.

“Mwhehe, guess who?” A familiar bright voice said.

“A goblin?” Ren guessed.

“No! What!? If anything, I’m like the fairy-guide the hero gets during his adventure!”

Ren turned around to see Futaba standing there, wearing her Shujin school uniform.

She grinned, “Bet you didn’t expect to run into me this morning.”

“Definitely not, aren’t you a bit late for class?” he asked, eying her suspiciously. It was already nearly 9 AM.

Futaba shook her head smiling, “Nope, 3rd years have a late start today, with the campus tour and such.”

“Oh right,” Ren nodded, “already that time of the year huh.”

“Mhm, so tell me, how goes it with the routine? Have you gotten to doing toe-loops yet, what about QUADRUPLE toe loops!?” she asked excitedly.

“What?! There would be no way that I could do those already Futaba,” Ren replied, he shuddered thinking about the jumping spins he would have to eventually master for the routine.

“Aw, well just let me know when you start working on the choreography, I have that scene committed to memory!” she said proudly.

“Uh huh, well I think for now, you should focus on not missing your train,” Ren pointed to the arriving train that just stopped at the platform.

“Shoot, well time to make like a hedgehog and zoom out of here!”

She dashed off, but not before waving at Ren enthusiastically. He waved back smiling at his ridiculous navigator. It wasn’t long before his own train arrived. He got on board and started his journey towards Tokyo University.

* * *

Ren finished all classes for the day at around 3 PM, leaving him about 2 hours to practice with Yusuke before he had to head home and help Sumire with dinner. He quickly boarded a train that headed towards the Akasaka district, finding himself at the rink 20 minutes later.

“Pardon me,” Ren said as he entered the warm interior of the ice-rink entrance room. There he saw grey-haired Tanaka, wearing an old faded woolly jumper, sitting at the front desk doing a crossword puzzle with Yusuke, who was wearing his signature teal coat, standing in front of Tanaka. He appeared to be sketching the old man.

Yusuke looked up as he entered “Ah Ren, good afternoon.”

Ren looked curiously at his lanky friend, “Yusuke what are you doing?”

“I’m sketching, what does it look like?” he replied tilting his head.

“I mean…” Ren tried not to roll his eyes, “Are you sketching Tanaka-san?”

“Indeed he is,” Tanaka said stroking his grey beard, “the young man asked if he could sketch me as I did my puzzle, he said I represent the ‘tranquillity of old age’,” he nodded as he recalled the earlier conversation “to be honest, I always wanted to have a portrait of myself in some form…” he said trailing off as he returned to concentrate on the crossword puzzle.

“See, perfectly legal, he agreed to it,” Yusuke said a bit defensively.

“Right sorry, I couldn’t help but flash back to the Asakusa incident…”

Yusuke grabbed Ren's shoulders, “Please, don’t mention the Asakusa incident,” he said imploringly.

“Ahem of course,” Ren said quickly, “well…shall we get started then?”

“Ah yes, let’s be off, Tanaka-san has already prepared you the borrowed skates while we wait for your ordered pair to arrive.”

“Excellent, thank you Tanaka.”

Tanaka nodded in acknowledgement, “Anything you need, just let me know, I’ll be here.”

Yusuke and Ren headed to the Ice-rink, feeling the familiar biting cold as they opened the door to the central area.

Under Yusuke’s careful watch, they stretched to make sure they wouldn’t get sore or stiff after their training session.

When they had put on their skates and taken to the ice, Yusuke gestured to Ren.

“Now then my friend, I want to see your basic movements once again, try 5 laps around the rink for starters, going as fast as you comfortably can.”

Ren nodded then took off and skated around the rink. Though there were times he struggled to push himself forward, he had learnt the basics pretty well now, Yusuke could see that quite clearly as he watched Ren skate around the rink.

“I’m very impressed Ren, your skills never fail to amaze me,” he complimented his old leader, “now, we will focus on how to turn like a figure skater, this is known as a ‘cross overs’” he explained.

Yusuke skated a short distance away from Ren, “It looks something like this,”

He moved forward in a smooth motion, with his arms stretched out behind him like he was a bird in flight, his right skate came forward and glided on the ice while his left lifted off the ground. He turned elegantly as he went around a corner.

Ren watched in amazement as Yusuke came back to him.

“Alright, now I’ll guide you through it.”

He positioned Ren in the middle of the rink.

“First, put your feet together, lining up your hips and shoulders right over your feet. You want to bend your knees, only slightly,” Yusuke instructed him.

“Now I need you to stretch your right arm in front and line your fingers up with your navel. Like you watched me do before, extend your left arm behind you. Both palms should be facing down as you do this.”

Ren got into position as Yusuke told him. Once he was satisfied with Ren’s form he gestured, “Now stroke your left leg back and with your right blade push off!”

He did so and promptly… tumbled forward, as he messed the timing up and the skates hit each other causing him to stumble. Ren instantly put his hands in front of himself and hit the ground, catching his body.

“Hmm, sorry I was a bit too enthusiastic there, follow my lead again,” Yusuke said smiling slightly.

It took Ren 20 minutes before he had narrowed the ‘cross over’ down. Yusuke applauded him, “Well done Ren, now let’s move on to the spin!”

Ren flinched slightly upon hearing this but nodded resolutely, it was part of the routine he had to learn so there was no avoiding it.

“Alright, I’m ready Yusuke!”

\------------------

They continued to practice till 5 PM rolled around, then they headed back towards the stands and began packing up.

“That was certainly fun,” Yusuke commented as he packed up his skates.

Ren massaged his bottom, “Don’t know about that one Yusuke, I distinctly recall me falling on my ass multiple times after losing control of the spin.”

Yusuke chuckled, “Not to worry, I could see you were starting to get the hang of it, let us practice again tomorrow.”

Ren nodded gratefully, “Thank you Yusuke, are you sure you aren’t busy?”

“No not at all,” Yusuke shook his head, “I’m still taking care of some paperwork to get my art shipped overseas for that exhibition I told you about, so I haven’t had time to paint much regardless.”

“Ah makes sense… though hearing that you aren’t able to paint as much, please be careful not to have another Asakusa incident, I don’t think Makoto’s sister will appreciate being called to the police station again on our behalf…”

“Ren please! I told you to forget about that!”

They made their way back to the warm interior of the ice rink, laughing and talking, though Ren was the one doing most of the laughing this time.

* * *

At 5:20 PM, Ren had made his way home and arrived back at the apartment.

“I’m home!” he called out. He heard light footsteps as Sumire appeared in the hallway.

“Welcome home!”

Ren smiled when he saw her, she was wearing a long sleeved red shirt with her grey track pants, “How was your day?” he asked as he untied his shoes

“Really good! Though classes were a bit boring.”

They laughed together, with Ren nodding in agreement, “I know that feeling, you said you were making dinner, did you want some help?”

She shook her head, “I’ve got it taken care of!” Sumire looked him up and down curiously.

“Senpai, why are you so… damp?” she asked, feeling his slightly wet coat.

‘Damn it…’ Ren thought privately to himself.

He coughed, “Well… it was raining slightly, uhm early today, my coat is just damp from that.”

Ren had completely forgotten that his clothes would have been slightly wet from the moisture of skating so long on the ice-rink. He hoped Sumire wouldn’t connect the dots and assume he was ice-skating or something (which was highly unlikely but feasible).

“Ah alright,” she said, still patting his coat, “your shirt seems damp too, that’s no good, you should hurry, I’ll help you take it all off.”

He looked to her quickly, raising an eyebrow, “Really Sumire? Right here in the hallway? What if Morgana hears us!” Ren teased.

“R-Ren! Y-you know that’s not what I meant!” she said blushing furiously, “I don’t want you catching a cold is all!”

Ren chuckled, “I’m sorry, thank you for being so considerate Sumi,” he took off his jacket which Sumire took to the laundry room while pouting.

He made his way to the bathroom, taking off his damp clothes and taking a quick warm shower. After he finished, he noticed Sumire had left him a spare change of clothes (which consisted of a black shirt with long pants) already outside the door. He put them on and made his way into the living room to find Morgana sleeping soundly on the couch.

Sumire was in the kitchen busying herself, she put what looked to be beef on the frying pan which sizzled delightedly.

“Wow that smells good,” he noted coming over to her.

“Hold it right there, mister,” she said in a mock-angry tone, “dinner is only for people who don’t tease their girlfriends so much.”

Ren was slightly surprised that Sumire was pretending to be angry at him. He sighed theatrically and put on his best frown, “But… I’ve been good all year! What will it take for me to taste your delicious food?” he asked her pleadingly.

“Hmmm, how about a note of apology?”

He shook his head, genuinely astonished now, “What!? There must be something else I can do! Really, anything else?”

Sumire smiled, she seemed to be enjoying herself, “Hmm, alright, I want a lap pillow after dinner then, while we watch a movie or something.”

Ren pretended to take this request into account, “Hmm alright, you strike a hard bargain Sumi, one lap pillow in exchange for a delicious dinner!”

Sumire giggled, shaking her head at her silly boyfriend, she gestured to the dining table.

“Have a seat then Senpai, I’ll bring the food over now.”

Ren followed Sumire’s instructions and took a seat at the table. Shortly after, Sumire brought over a warm dinner. On the plate was a juicy hamburger steak, served rice, broccoli and bell peppers.

“Wow, it looks great Sumi,” Ren said earnestly as he looked over the plate of food.

“Glad you like it!” she replied back smiling widely.

“Where did you learn to cook this?” he asked her as she took a seat opposite him, with her own plate of food.

“I called my mom actually, I remembered she used to make hamburger steak and so after having it in that restaurant Haru-senpai took us too I wanted to try and make it for myself!”

She gestured to the food, “Please have a taste!”

Ren nodded, “Thank you for the food.”

He took his knife and fork and dug into the hamburger steak first. It was juicy and firm as he cut it, he lifted it and put it into his mouth, chewing.

Sumire watched him anxiously for his reaction. Ren shook his head, “This is amazing Sumi, I mean it.” The steak was seasoned with pepper, salt and a hint of ketchup inside the mix, it created a nice blend of flavours that highlighted the taste of the beef.

Her eyes lit up at his words, “Really!? I’m so glad!”

They enjoyed their meal, talking of their day and what they had been up to. When they had finished Ren took the plates down and started washing them in the kitchen.

“So Morgana has already eaten?” he asked as he washed the dishes.

“Yep! He had the onigiri salmon from this morning, he really likes fish huh,” she noted as she looked at his sleeping form on the couch.

“You can say that again,” Ren smiled as he set the dishes to dry on the drying rack.

\------------------

When they had finished cleaning up they went to the couch to relax. Morgana was still fast asleep on the couch, though he occasionally twitched as he dreamed of chasing mice and treasure.

“Ok Senpai, I believe you owe me a lap pillow,” Sumire said decisively, urging him to sit down.

Ren nodded, “I always keep my promises,” he sat down, and patted his lap.

She set herself down and put her head on his lap. She sighed contentedly.

“This is nice,” she murmured.

“Mhm, glad you like it sweetheart.”

Ren reached for the TV-remote, “Well what do you want to watch?”

“Hmm, oh I want to watch that new variety show that starts today! the one about Japanese actor’s travelling across the land with visiting various famous movie spots!”

“Alright, sound fun,” Ren changed the channel, “here we go.”

They watched Sumire’s variety show till midnight, Sumire had long fallen asleep on Ren’s lap which had started going slightly numb.

He turned off the TV and looked at this partner’s sleeping face.

Ren gently shifted, putting her head on the couch as he stood up, then he carefully lifted her up, and carried her to the bed, making sure not to wake her up.

“Sleep well, my violet,” he said softly as he tugged her in. Even after all those years since that white-day date, when they had sat by the river reaffirming their love for each other, Ren realised he loved her just as much as he does right now at this moment... perhaps even more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, I hope you enjoyed that chapter, honestly writing Sumi/Ren fills me with sugar, I hope I do their interaction justice. I do apologize if this chapter felt shorter compared to the others, this chapter is my 2nd final one and is meant to act like a set-up for the next one, as the next one is (most likely) the final for the story. Do not worry! I will make sure to build it up accordingly and finish off the story with all my heart and energy.  
> As usual your support and continued readership keeps me going! See you all next time.  
> Shoutout to Chadzura and Monk Kind for reading over my work as well!


	7. Our Last Dance Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of "Our Last Dance"  
> As the date of the anniversary draws closer, Ren must balance his university work, his relationship with the one he loves and the plan he set in motion so long ago. Although this time, it might turn out to be more than he can handle...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, this is the first part of my final chapter since the word-count got so big I had to split it for you guys. It's been a wild ride, I hope you enjoy this final chapter of the story that I first started nearly over a month ago.  
> And without further ado, here is part one of my final chapter.  
> "Our Last Dance"
> 
> P.S Listening to "Rain, Coffee and You [study/sleep/homework music]" by Dreamy is a good way to enjoy this chapter ;)

**8** ** th ** **of January, Wednesday, 11 days till the anniversary.**

**Sumire and Ren’s apartment, 8:25 AM.**

“I’m off Sumi, I’ll be home a bit later tonight!” Ren announced from the hallway as he put on his socks and shoes. Wincing slightly from the blisters he still had on his foot from continued ice-skating practice, he finally managed to get his shoes on properly. He readjusted his bag as he stood up and stuffed a pair of gloves down his grey coat.

Ren heard Sumire’s soft footsteps behind him before feeling her warm arms around his shoulders.

“You forgot my hug,” she said giggling slightly as she embraced him from behind. Ren laughed softly, he turned his body so that he faced hers and hugged her back.

“Be safe out there, I’ll see you at home,” Ren said as they reluctantly parted from the hug. Sumire nodded, “Of course senpai, you take care as well!” Sumire started to walk back down the hallway.

“Wait, you forgot something,” Ren called out to her. She turned to look at him, her head tilted slightly in curiosity.

“Huh, what did I forget?”

Ren walked over to her, a small smile on his face.

“You forgot this.”

He kissed her, very lightly on the lips. Sumire felt her cheeks flash red as he stepped back.

“Ren!” Sumire almost yelled out as he continued to smile at her flustered face.

With a small wink, he walked back to the door, opened it and stepped out.

It was another cold day in Tokyo, nearly 15ºC this particular Wednesday morning. Ren quickly slipped his hand into his coat pockets and put on his wool gloves, feeling his hands ache from the exposure to the freezing temperature. Taking one deep breath of fresh biting cold air, he began to make his way down the stairs of the apartment complex and onwards to the station.

He trudged along the familiar side street path, passing by cafes and stores. The morning sun cast a picturesque blue and yellow light on the scenery around him, as it filtered through the lazy clouds above. It was a nostalgic sight, it reminded Ren particularly of his rural hometown. Taking another deep breath, he felt the cold winter hair caress his face as he passed through an alley into the main street leading to the station.

Looking up ahead of him, he actually spotted Futaba and Yusuke walking just some distance in front of him. Yusuke was sporting a light brown winter-coat with a teal scarf and dark pants. Futaba was wearing her Shujin uniform with the familiar blazer to protect her from the windy cold weather. Even from this distance he could hear their loud conversation.

“Inari, pretty please!” Ren heard Futaba plead as he got closer to them.

“Woman, I do not have time to commission an ‘OC’ character as you described, I am far too busy with helping our leader with his romantic plan and making sure all is in order to ship my painting overseas!”

“Stingy Inari! You could probably draw my character in 10 minutes tops!” she retorted back, crossing her arms as they continued walking to the station.

“That may be so, but you do realise my skills lie in drawing landscape or emotional scenery and depictions, I can’t just get into drawing ‘moe’ characters!”

“Hey you could pick it up pretty fast, you’ve got the talent Ina… I mean Yusuke-senpai!” Futaba quickly corrected herself, smiling innocently at him.

“If you’re trying to butter me up, it won’t work Futaba!”

Ren finally caught up with them, having heard the entirety of the conversation.

“You guys certainly are loud in the morning,” he remarked smiling at them. Futaba and Yusuke turned around and spotted their raven-haired leader eying them both with an amused look.

“Oh, good morning Ren, what a pleasant surprise,” Yusuke greeted him warmly as they kept walking.

“Morning Ren! Can you tell this blockheaded fox he’s making excuses not to help me draw my fan characters!” Futaba reasoned, giving Yusuke a cold look.

Ren tried his hardest not to laugh, “Well, he is really busy right now, it’s not easy transferring cultural art overseas, I’m sure Yusuke could look into it after he’s done with the paperwork though.”

Yusuke nodded, although he did so reluctantly, “Yes… Ren is right, I will have more time when that business is taken care of, just please be patient until then Futaba.”

She nodded, a gleeful smile breaking out from her face “Hooray! Thank you so much Yusuke, you too Ren!”

“Don’t thank me,” Ren said waving his hands dismissively, “I’m not the one that has to draw whatever creation you cooked up.” Ren heard Yusuke groan slightly in response to this.

“Hehe, I suppose you have a point!”

Futaba and Ren started laughing while Yusuke kept shaking his head solemnly.

“So, what are you guys doing together this early in the morning?” Ren asked curiously as they crossed over an intersection.

“I wanted to see the Sayuri again,” Yusuke said simply, “it’s been awhile and I’ve been so busy lately so I decided to stop by Leblanc, that also meant I would be able to enjoy a cup of Boss’s coffee too.”

Futaba nodded, “Since I actually woke up early this morning, I happened to run into him at the café while Sojiro was making me breakfast, after that we decided to walk to the station together!”

They talked of other idle things as they finally arrived at Yongen-Jaya station. It wasn’t long before Ren and Yusuke waved goodbye to Futaba as she ran to catch her train (once again nearly missing it somehow).

“Are we still practising today Ren?” Yusuke asked as they took a seat while waiting for their train.

Ren nodded though he could feel the aching of his feet from the prolonged skating practice, “Yes, I want to focus on getting the spin correct, I remember there’s an extended leg spin at the end of the routine so once we get it nailed down I won’t have to have nightmares about it…”

Yusuke gave a faint smile, “Agreed, well I shall see you at the same time and place then, I believe that is my train approaching.”

“No worries, have a good day Yusuke.”

“You too Ren.”

Ren waved to his artistic friend as he watched him board his crowded train. It wasn’t long before his own train arrived, he boarded it and prepared himself for another day of classes at the university.

\--------------------------------------

**BREAD & ESPRESSO Café, Takenoko Street, Harajuku, **

**3:20 PM**

Ren sipped his coffee latte finding it quite pleasant. The milk ratio used in the drink balanced the bitterness of the bean blend well. Normally he preferred his own blend but Sojiro had encouraged him to try different coffee drinks whenever he went to cafés to expand his view of diverse brews.

He set down his drink and looked out from the café window, seeing a scenery of cafés lined up in the busy shopping street through the window. Across from him Ann sat, swirling the straw around in her ice coffee drink absentmindedly.

“She’ll be here any minute I’m sure, she said she was delayed” Ann said reassuringly. Ren shrugged, “No worries, I’m honestly really grateful that you could set this up so I don’t mind waiting.”

Ann shook her head, “It was nothing Ren, really, I know you and Yusuke are working hard to get the routine done though so I’m just worried about the time you have left.”

Ren felt a small grimace creep up on his face, “It’s fine Ann, when have I ever missed a deadline before?”

She laughed, though a bit uneasily, “Never I suppose.”

“Shall we order more bread?” he suggested, noticing the muffin she had ordered earlier was already gone from her plate.

“Hmm, we might as well if she’s going to be late… I want to try the shortcake then!” Ann said in a cheerier tone.

A short moment later they had sat down again, with Ann getting a strawberry shortcake and Ren getting a chocolate muffin.

“Mhm, delicious!” Ann confirmed as she took a bite with her fork.

“I can see why your manager is worried about you, she wasn’t kidding when she said you were eating cake every day,” a female voice spoke up from behind them.

They turned around to see a young woman standing there smiling whimsically at Ann. She had light brown eyes and dark hair that was cut neat and short to her shoulders. Her clothes consisted of a denim jacket that was ripped in different ways with matching jeans that were a darker colour to contrast her brighter jacket.

“Aoi you’re late,” Ann said, waving her fork at the newly arrived stranger.

“Deeply sorry, the designer meeting took longer than I expected,” Aoi explained as she took the spare seat Ren and Ann had set out for her earlier.

Ren inclined his head politely, “No worries, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Ren Amamiya, Ann’s high school friend, I was the one that requested to meet you here.”

“Pleasure to meet you Ren-san, I’m Aoi Ichigo, fashion designer extraordinaire! You can also just call me Aoi, everyone does anyway, including this thorny rose here.” She pointed at Ann who was preoccupied with eating her cake blissfully.

Ren smiled, “If you insist Aoi, you can also just call me Ren.”

“So, what’s this about designing an ice-skating costume?” Aoi asked her eyes alight with curiosity.

Ren took a sup from his latte, “Well Aoi, I need a costume made, I’ll be performing a figure skating routine for my girlfriend as an anniversary surprise…”

“Sounds romantic,” Aoi interjected, she shook her head quickly realising she had interrupted, “Sorry! Go on.”

“Well essentially I need a custom design made and fabricated by the 19th of January.”

Aoi tapped her knuckles against the table, “Hmm, will be difficult depending on the complexity of the design, do you have any ideas or concepts I can look at?”

“Uh sure,” Ren pulled out his phone and showed her a photo from the Eros scene he had saved from his phone.

“Woah not bad,” Aoi whistled, “you certainly look like you have the body to pull it off.”

“Watch it, he’s taken,” Ann warned her, looking up from her cake and shaking her head at Aoi.

Aoi raised her hands up in mock surrender, “Was just a professional opinion, I will need to take his measurements though when I do the detailed design.”

“Well what do you think?” Ren asked, getting them back on track.

“Hmm, the net design will be difficult to rush but it’s doable, the crystal placement is going to take up a lot of my time as well, I’m assuming this will be a lit stage performance?”

Ren nodded in confirmation.

“Gotcha, well it won’t be cheap Mister Ice-skater, I’ve helped design professional uniforms for the Olympics and they can cost 250,000 yen,” Aoi explained as she tapped her fingers on her face in thought.

Ren laughed, “Ann did say that, I am willing to pay for this.”

“Not to worry too much though,” Aoi said looking at Ann, “I do owe a favour to Ann for helping me with some outfit test so I’ll give you a discount, it’s the least I could do.”

“Thank you Aoi,” Ren said gratefully.

Aoi nodded, “No big deal, I’ll get started with some concept drafts. I’ve got another meeting coming up now though so I’ve got to dash, here’s my chat ID, so I can send you the drafts when they’re done.”

They exchanged chat information, once that was done Aoi stood up but not before taking the last of Ann’s cake with a quick swipe of her hand.

“Hey my cake?!” Ann burst out.

Aoi put it in her mouth and chewed appreciatively.

“Cut down on the sugar little rose, if I hear your manager complain to me one more time I’m going to scream and I mean it!” Aoi admonished her friend with a grin.

“I’ll see you around, and don’t worry Ren, the design and costume will be done in no time!”

With one last bow, Aoi exited the shop. Ann looked depressingly at her empty plate.

“Well… let’s get going, I’m catching up with Shiho for dinner so I might as well start heading home to get ready...”

“Yeah I’m also meeting Yusuke for more practice, let’s start making our way to the station then.” As they both exitted the shop, Ren looked back at the café. “I must say, it’s a good café, if we stayed any longer though you probably would have cleared the place out of cake,” he noted smiling to himself.

“Don’t make me regret introducing you to Aoi…” Ann said forebodingly.

“Yes Ma’am!”

\--------------------------------------

**Sumire and Ren's Yongen-Jaya apartment,**

**5:25 PM**

Ren was huffing when he finally entered the warm comfort of his apartment. After practising with Yusuke he had run from the train station to make sure he got home in time to cook dinner; it was after-all his turn tonight.

“I’m home,” Ren said hoarsely as he took off his shoes and coat.

Morgana popped his head out from the corridor, “Welcome home Ren.”

“Hello Morgana,” he greeted his cat companion.

“How was practice?” Morgana asked curiously as Ren made his way to the kitchen with the cat following behind him.

“Tiring…” Ren grabbed the pre-prepared pot of dashi stock from the fridge and set it on the stove, turning up the heat.

“Udon?” Morgana guessed as he watched Ren heat up the stock.

“Yes, how did you know?”

Morgana yawned, “I peeked into your bag earlier and saw the fresh noodles you brought.”

“Sneaky,” Ren said as he got the noodles out of his bag and set them on the kitchen counter.

“Can you watch the soup for a bit? Need to take a shower before Sumi comes home.”

“Of course, be back quick though!”

Ren nodded then quickly went to the bathroom, putting his damp clothes in the washing machine on his way there.

When he stepped out of the shower, he put on a long-sleeved grey shirt and pants. Making his way into the kitchen he heard the distinct sound of the front door opening and closing.

“I’m home~” Sumire’s bright voice called out from the hallway.

Ren went over to greet her. He found Sumire in the hallway, wearing her signature red jacket with dark-blue jeans.

“Welcome home,” he said as he watched her take off her shoes.

She smiled as she saw him, “Hey Ren, how has your day been?” she asked as she stood up and hugged him.

“The usual, I finished classes early today so it wasn't as bad as other days,” he said as they separated. Ren gestured to her bag, “Let me take your bag for you.”

Sumire nodded appreciatively “Thank you!” He took the bag from her and carried it to their bedroom, placing it on her bedside table.

“Hello Sumire,” Morgana greeted her as she walked into the kitchen.

“Evening Morgana, Mhm something smells good!”

“Ren’s making udon,” the cat explained, pointing to the fresh pack of noodles on the counter and the boiling pot of soup on the stove.

Sumire felt her stomach growl, “I can’t wait!”

“It’ll be ready in 15 minutes, hang in there sweetheart,” Ren announced as he came back into the kitchen laughing, “now Sumi, for the topping tempura or beef?”

“Hmm, beef sounds good please!”

“Coming right up then.” Ren went over to the fridge and grabbed the beef sirloin and a cutting board, placing them on the counter.

“Can I help?” Sumire asked as he started slicing the beef in strips.

Ren nodded gratefully, “Of course, could you boil the noodles and put them in bowls please.”

“Will do!” Sumire went over and grabbed a pot to fill it with water.

With their team work, they had prepared 3 bowls of hot udon with fried beef as the topping in less than 15 minutes.

“Thank you for the food!” they all said gratefully before digging in.

Sumire started first on the soup, tasting it with her spoon. It was rich, with a soy-sauce and mirin base that made it complex and extremely delicious.

“Amazing as always Ren,” Sumire complimented him as she tasted the noodles now which were firm but smooth.

Ren ruffled his hair, “I’m glad to hear you say that, I prepared the soup base this morning so I wasn’t sure how it wasn’t going to go.”

“It’s delicious,” Morgana confirmed as he sipped from his bowl slowly.

“Thanks guys, glad you’re enjoying it,” Ren replied honestly.

“Oh, by the way, a friend of mine gave me tickets to this cat café, do you want to go to Ren?” Sumire asked him looking up from her noodles.

“A cat café!?” Morgana cried out, “Why would you want to go to one when you’ve already got an amazing cat living with you!”

Sumire went pink “Uhm, well one of my gymnastics friends said that’s what she did with her boyfriend so…”

Ren gave Morgana a quick look before saying, “I would love to Sumi, assuming no objections from our cat overlord?”

Morgana sighed, “No… of course not, though you better not adopt any cats while you’re there!”

Sumire and Ren laughed.

“Don’t worry Morgana, that’s not what cat cafés are,” Sumire explained, “you just play with cats and maybe have some tea or coffee while you’re there.” She patted him on his head reassuringly.

“Alright that’s good to hear,” Morgana meowed morosely although visibly happier now.

Sumire turned to Ren, “How about this Saturday then?”

‘ _Ah damn… well I suppose it could work,_ ’ Ren thought to himself as he realised it conflicted with one of his training sessions with Yusuke…

Ren nodded, coming to a decision, “Saturday sounds good, I’m looking forward to it.”

She smiled brightly at him and Ren felt his heart do the familiar flip as their eyes met, “It’s a date then!”

* * *

**10** ** th ** **of January, Friday, 9 days till the anniversary.**

**8:25 AM, Tokyo University Trackyard**

“You know what I noticed? The English word _bed_ looks like an actual bed, how _crazy_ is that?!” Ryuji Sakamoto said in a profound tone, as if he had just discovered the key to eternal happiness.

Ren felt his sides cramp up.

*Huff*

“That’s… a great observation…. Ryuji,” he gasped out as they ran their 10th lap around the university track yard.

Ryuji grinned enthusiastically, “I’m a genius, huh?”

They were doing their weekly stamina training as Ren had asked Ryuji to help him stay in form so that he could pull off the ice-skating routine without breaking his body in the process.

Ryuji in response went all out for his long-time friend. He came up with an efficient training program for Ren that consisted of cardio and core muscle training.

Though Ren was initially quite grateful for his friend, he found the sessions both draining mentally and physically.

“And done!” Ryuji said as they finished their last lap.

Ren fell to the ground in a spread-eagle position. His eyes scanned the blue sky above him while he caught his breath, as clouds above passed him by slowly.

“You alright there?” Ryuji asked his best-friend, who was lying on the ground breathing hard.

“I will be in a few moments,” Ren replied, shaking his head slightly.

“You seem really out of practice with running, you haven’t run as much since high school huh?” Ryuji noted.

Ren shrugged, “Well… I didn’t have a scary blonde delinquent looking after me so I guess I started slipping.”

“Ha ha, very funny Ren,” Ryuji shook his head smiling.

He seemed to ponder something before his eyes lit up, “I know! How about you and me get some ramen, that’ll get your energy levels up again!”

“That would be good but I really think I should get more practice done,” Ren stood up now, brushing his track pants, “I’ve got 9 days left to master this man, and it’s cutting it pretty close.”

Ryuji nodded understandingly, “That’s alright, let’s get something quick to eat though, can’t have you skating on an empty stomach.”

Ren agreed, albeit a bit reluctantly.

“How about we stop by the convenient store on the way to the station and get some meat buns before you meet up with Yusuke?” Ryuji suggested.

“Sounds good Ryuji, let’s go then.”

\--------------------------------------

**3:30 PM, Okumura Ice-rink**

It was 3:30 PM when Ren arrived at the rink. Upon entering the foyer area Tanaka promptly told him his friends were already waiting for him inside the ice-skating area. Opening the rink doors, the cold blast familiar air hit him as he saw Yusuke, Makoto and Futaba already sitting at the stands huddled around a laptop.

“This is the salchow move,” Ren heard Makoto point out.

Yusuke shuddered, “I forgot he had to do 3 of them in a row...”

“Hey relax! Ren can get them down; he can already nearly do 1 so 2 more should be a piece of cake!” Futaba confidently said.

As Ren got closer, he greeted them all, “Hello everyone.”

“Ren!” Futaba shouted eagerly, jumping up and down from her seat. Yusuke and Makoto waved and greeted him as well.

“How come you guys weren’t inside?” he asked them as he sat down and started putting on his skates.

“The heating seems to be broken inside,” Makoto explained as she closed her laptop, and then rubbed her hands for warmth.

“Oh, Tanaka said it was fixed half an hour ago.”

“Guess he forgot to tell us…” Futaba said sullenly.

Ren laughed then slowly stood up, taking a few steps in his skates, “Well then, shall we start Yusuke?”

Nodding, Yusuke stood up and followed him to the rink.

\--------------------------------------

They practised with no breaks, by now Ren had nearly been taught every technique he would be required to do for the routine.

“Hm you’re still arching your foot too far forward when jumping,” Makoto pointed out as Ren skated back to the stands for critique. She was holding her ice-skating guide in her hands for reference as she provided feedback.

Ren agreed, “Yeah, I could feel the landing was super unstable, that explains why.”

Yusuke nodded, “It’s important to make sure your movement is sharp when you’re in the air, try doing a trailing motion like this when you jump.” Yusuke promptly skated forward and did a jump followed by a half rotation; his arms were folded across his chest as he spun mid-air with his feet angled out. He landed elegantly with a hiss on the ice.

“Not bad Inari!” Futaba called out from the stands.

Ren gave a thumbs up in agreement before taking a deep breath, “Alright, I’ll try again.”

“Yes, practice makes perfect, a few more tries and I think you’ll get it Ren,” Makoto assured him. He nodded, then skated back out to the rink with Yusuke following to watch his movements.

They practiced till 5 PM before packing up. Ren had made a lot of progress mastering the salchow jump, and was now focused on learning the toe-loops next.

He bade farewell to Makoto and Yusuke at the station and began his journey back to his apartment in Yongen-Jaya along with Futaba. They split paths when they reached Leblanc. A wave of nostalgia filled him, he could see the store was closed for the night as they passed it by though the lights outside were still on.

“Say hello to the chief for me alright?” he asked Futaba as they reached her house.

“Will do! You should stop by for some coffee sometime though, between you and me I think Sojiro _misses_ you,” she said this last part in a whisper.

Ren laughed, “Definitely will stop by then, have a goodnight Futaba.”

“You too Ren!”

He started making his way back to his apartment after saying goodbye. As he walked down the familiar side paths, he heard his phone buzz.

Curiously he pulled it out and saw it was Aoi calling him.

\--------

Ren: “ _Hello_?”

Aoi: “ _Hey, is this Ren_?”

Ren: “ _Yes, hello Aoi, what’s up_?”

Aoi: “ _Just calling about the costume_ , _after reviewing the design draft again I’ve started the manufacturing process, it should be done in 5 days’ time!”_

Ren: _“That’s really great to hear, thank you so much.”_

Aoi: _“Don’t mention it, send me a video of your final performance though, I would love to see it.”_

Ren: _“Will do, thank you again.”_

Aoi: _“Really it's fine, have a good night then!”_

Ren: _“You too.”_

_\--------_

Ren hung up and thanked Ann inwardly for having such competent fashion connections. He eventually arrived at the apartment complex he and Sumire lived in. Upon getting to the apartment door he could hear the faint mumble of voices inside.

Curiously, he pulled his key out, unlocking the door and opening it slowly. As he got inside the voices were clearer now.

“We should get going before he comes home,” a light female voice said.

“No worries, thank you guys so much!” Sumire’s voice replied.

Ren took off his shoes and walked slowly through the hallway leading to the living room.

Emerging from the living room area and making their way to the hallway, Ren saw it was Ann and Haru whom he had heard earlier outside the apartment.

“Oh Ren-kun good evening!” Haru greeted him brightly as they came into view.

“Hello Haru, and Ann too, what are you guys doing here?” he asked them interestedly.

“Just some girls stuff,” Ann said easily, giving him a mysterious smile.

Ren could see Sumire was standing behind them now, she waved to him warmly, “Welcome home Ren!”

Ann gestured to the door, “I think it’s time for us to leave these lovers, shall we go Haru?”

She nodded smiling whimsically at Ren, “Yes we should, have a goodnight you two!”

“See you guys!” Sumire said as they began putting on their shoes.

“Farewell Lady Ann,” Morgana called out.

Ann waved warmly at them all, “Goodnight guys!”

They exited the apartment. Ren turned to look at Sumire curiously.

“Sooo as your boyfriend, may I ask perhaps what that might have been?”

“You heard Ann, girl’s stuff,” Sumire replied innocently.

“Right, well shall we make dinner?”

She nodded happily, “Already on it senpai! Come to the kitchen though when you’ve changed clothes, could use your help with peeling the vegetables.”

Shortly after, Ren and Sumire prepared a simple meal of rice, cooked beef and vegetables. They sat around and talked, mostly about Sumire’s gymnastic routine she was working on with her coach and Ren’s university classes.

\---------------------------

It was 11 PM when Ren found himself in bed, he was exhausted. He could feel the creeping uncertainty of doubt closing on his mind.

_Would he make the deadline?_

_Could he master the routine in time?_

_Was this even a good idea in the first place?!_

He shook his head as if to clear the thoughts.

Sumire noticed this as she got into bed and lay next to him, “Something on your mind Ren?”

“Oh, no it's nothing, just a lot of work recently is all.”

Sumire looked worriedly at her partner, she snuggled in closer to him as she turned off the lights.

“Don’t push yourself so hard, it pains me to see you under so much stress,” she said softly. In the darkness of their bedroom, Ren almost felt like the words cast a bright light in his heart.

“I promise I won’t.”

“Do you mean that?” she asked him, peering up at him with an anxious look.

Though Sumire couldn’t see that well in the dark, she could see the faint outline of his face as he smiled gently at her.

“Of course,” he leaned forward to kiss her on the head.

“Thank you for always taking care of me Sumi.”

“That should be my line Ren...”

They laughed together and Ren could feel the doubt in his mind disappearing completely.

"Promise me you'll come to me should things get tough..."

"Always Sumi, I wouldn't have it any other way."

They snuggled up closer, the only sound that could be heard was their faint breathing, which created a calm and gentle atmosphere.

Ren felt Sumire's hand caress his hair as it trailed along his head.

“Goodnight sweetheart.”

“Goodnight darling.”

Then slowly, they both drifted off to sleep, enjoying the warmth, peace and comfort they provided each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, well that's part 1, hope you all enjoyed it!  
> I want to take the time to thank people who have supported me throughout this story, this first part is dedicated to all the readers who have enjoyed, liked and commented on my story throughout. I can't thank you all in person but I can thank those that were able to leave a comment, you guys warmed my heart.  
> (These are the commenters throughout my story as of writing this author note!)  
> Thank you to:  
> Tressk  
> sayimk  
> Gen  
> Light1108  
> Manu259  
> Bruh is a great place  
> thefalsefacade  
> Lambsaucee12  
> Kiarash abrishami  
> Dev0ted  
> Theroonco  
> caemidham
> 
> And to those of you who left a kudos, I would like to thank (as of this moment):  
> ZachSongZ, 658137t, Didlight, SumiRen, Akechi_Likes_Jazz18, FrivMasterAnthony2, emoprotagonist, Black_Fuego_Rio, lowsink2, Asphaow, Posaurus, pichumaster101, Lekuro, thefalsefacade, AkiraADV, Parameciam, Jagerian, MonkKind, RenAmamiya, sayimk, Pikatato, Lovestruckllama, Plixp, ghost9119, Supersun28, RoyalPhantom, Glaceial, Catkins2003, Light1108, Jeiiii, Kaito764, sniperwolf92, ShrugFace, willsonjr, YasuRasu, Manu259, HolyMurder, Genboxcutters, Green_Eyes_Shadow_Dragoon, and Tressk as well as 78 guests!
> 
> And lastly, thank you reader, whoever you are, thank you for reading my story, I hope its message about life, love and friends touched you.  
> See you all for part 2, which will be up in 2-3 hours time!


	8. Our Last Dance Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of 'Our Last Dance'  
> Ren finds himself at the deep end, and comes to learn that everyone needs support and help from their friends every now and then!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 out of 3 of my final chapter, it got extended due to... extra content reasons!  
> Hope you all enjoy it.
> 
> P.S Listening to "Rain, Coffee and You [study/sleep/homework music]" by Dreamy is a great way to enjoy the first part of this chapter!
> 
> Listening to "Otouto Mitai na Sonzai ~ Piano Solo" from Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, for 'that' later scene is highly recommended, you'll know which one I'm talking about when you get there!

**Jan 11 th, 8 days till the 3rd anniversary.**

**1 PM, Cat Cafe MOCHA, Shibuya.**

Ren and Sumire had woken up the next day refreshed and energised. Although Ren still felt slight pain around his ankles from all the ice skating, he wouldn’t let that stop him from enjoying the day with Sumire. After a light breakfast of miso soup and onigiri, they made their way to the Shibuya where the cat café was located.

“Welcome!” the bright voice of the cat café worker called as Sumire and Ren entered the shop.

It was a large spacious building with two floors. The first floor had a side counter with a coffee and pay machine. The room itself was filled with different cat furniture, from scratching poles to small play houses. The walls were white and decorated with cute paintings of cats and other cat-related imagery.

Ren could already see a few feline figures peering at him curiously from their houses as they poked their heads out.

The couple walked up to the café worker greeting her.

“Hello how can I help you?” the worker asked, as she put a cat who had climbed on top of the serving counter back down on the floor.

“I would like to use this coupon for an hour visit please,” Sumire said presenting the small paper ticket.

“No problem, give me one second to process that please.”

After scanning it through the pay machine she turned back to them with a smile.

“That comes to a total of 1125 yen!”

Ren stepped forward and paid.

“Thank you so much, please enjoy the café! Please keep these things in mind, don’t bother the cats too much, no pulling on their tails and picking them up. Petting them and brushing their fur is fine though” she explained to them.

“Thank you,” Sumire said smiling. They walked further into the room, admiring the cats around them.

“Senpai look!” she pointed at a tabby cat that was approaching them cautiously.

Sumire crouched down and scratched it behind the ear as it got closer. It purred softly at her touch.

She smiled at the cute cat “I think it likes me.”

Ren nodded, “Makes sense, it’s because you have something in common.”

“Huh, what do you mean?” she asked him as the cat rolled over lazily.

“You’re both unbelievably cute,” he said leaning down and petting the cat as well.

“Ren!” Sumire exclaimed, going bright red once more.

“What? It's true sweetheart.”

The tabby cat looked at the couple curiously then yawned, aware that it was no longer the centre of attention it wandered off in search of other things.

“Aw look your cheesiness scared the cat away,” Sumire pouted, though a bright smile still played across her face.

“It’s fine, I’m sure there will be many more cats that come to us, cute attracts cute afterall.”

They stayed and played with the cats for the full hour they were given. Taking plenty of pictures and petting plenty of cute cats. For some reason the cats seemed to like Ren a lot. Often they would come over and rub themselves against him, much to his surprise and embarrassment as Sumire took plenty of photos of it.

“This will be a great lock screen for my phone,” Sumire said as she looked at the photo she took of Ren and 4 other cats crowding around him.

“Thanks, I do hope Morgana won’t be able to tell I let cats other than him climb my shoulders...”

Sumire giggled, “I’m sure Morgana-senpai won’t be able to tell, well it seems our time is up shall we go?”

“Yes, let’s get something to eat before we head home, how about ramen?”

“That sounds great, I’ve been craving miso ramen, let’s be off then!” she replied eagerly.

They went and got ramen at a nearby restaurant (Sumire had two bowls) before heading home for the day. For Ren and Sumire it was a perfect day since they had the chance to spend it together.

When they got home however Morgana could tell another cat had climbed Ren’s shoulders resulting in him being quite put off with Ren. 

He was only convinced that he was Ren’s favourite cat partner when Ren had brought him a kilogram worth of fresh tuna that he ended up grilling for Morgana later that night.

\-----------------

**14 th of January, 5 days before the 3rd anniversary.**

**3 PM, Okumura Ice Rink**

Ren fiddled with the wires of the console, he cursed as it crackled with electricity.

“Careful Ren,” Morgana warned him as he pulled his hand back quickly.

“Thanks Mona… hand me those cutters, I think the wires need to be replaced.”

Haru was observing them along with Tanaka from a distance, “Please be careful you two!”

Ren and Morgana were fixing the audio system for the ice-rink as a favour to Haru. Since Ren needed the system to play the Eros song anyway, it was a win/win situation. They currently sat in the maintenance room, which was slightly dank and very dusty.

“Sorry to ask you to do this Amamiya-kun,” Tanaka apologised as they watched him fix the audio system.

“No big deal, I used to fiddle around with electronics back in high school, I think the problem lies with this faulty power supply,” Ren said as he examined the frayed wire leading to the control panel.

“You have some spare wiring here, right?” he asked Tanaka.

“We do, it’s in that small box here,” Tanaka went over and shifted the box closer to Ren.

He nodded his thanks and picked up a cord, cutting it to fit the required length.

As he inserted it into the panel wiring under Morgana’s careful supervision, he heard a loud boom noise echoing from the ice-rink.

“I believe those were your speakers, sounds like the audio system has power again,” Ren said, sighing in relief.

“Nice work Joker,” Morgana commended him, nodding approvingly.

“Thank you so much Ren!” Haru thanked him.

“Yes, thank you Amamiya-kun,” Tanaka said gratefully.

He waved his hands, “No worries, happy to help.” Ren tried to stifle a yawn, though it only made it more apparent how tired he was.

“Are you ok?” Morgana asked, his head tilted slightly.

“I’m fine,” Ren stood up, dusting his hands, “Well if you’ll excuse me, I need to get more practice done.”

\-------

“Ren we can stop now, I can tell you’re exhausted,” Yusuke said as Ren fell to the ground after missing his toe-loop landing. They had been practising for nearly 2 hours now, Ren had now learnt the entirety of the routine and was polishing individual sections, although tiredness and fatigue was showing quite clearly

Getting up slowly, Ren breathed in deeply, “Just a couple more run throughs of the routine…”

He reset himself into the starting position, then launched into the routine again.

Makoto, Haru and Futaba were watching from the seats.

“He’s getting a lot better although he seems really tired,” Haru said as Ren carefully manoeuvred into a toe loop that he landed elegantly this time.

“Yes, I am worried about him, he hasn’t rested a day since the weekend, at the pace he is going… I mean he still hasn’t mastered a triple axel yet,” Makoto noted, reviewing the routine plan she, Yusuke and Futaba had come up with.

“I mean only like 8 professional figure skating women have ever done it in competitions flawlessly,” Futaba pointed out, “even if he is just able to transition from a bad axel landing to his next form it will still be really good.”

They all nodded, though continued to look worryingly at their leader and friend as he skated with almost manic movements trying to get the technique right.

 _‘It’s not enough, I have to try harder’_ those words echoed in Ren’s mind as he swirled around on the ice. He jumped in the air and started his run up, preparing for the hardest jump in the routine.

He got to the triple axel and…!

Felt himself hit the ground. Ice and sleet hit him as he tumbled landing on the cold hard ground.

He lay there for a second, he could feel the building tension in his muscles and the worried glances of his friends from the seats.

Yusuke watched his friend with great pain and admiration

 _‘To go so far for love and devotion… he truly is her life partner,’_ Yusuke thought.

Taking one deep breath again, Ren got up. He tightened his gloves on his hand.

_‘Skate on, you’re still breathing…’_

\-------------------

**16 th of January, 3 days till the anniversary.**

**5:35 PM, Okumura Ice-rink**

Ren posed as the song finished and he hit his final position. He breathed in the cold air heavily, feeling the muscles in his body screaming from exhaustion.

He heard claps from the stands as Futaba, Ryuji and Yusuke cheered.

“Excellent Ren! Truly well done,” Yusuke applauded him as he skated closer to them.

“Ren that was like straight out of the anime! That was so good I wish I had recorded it!” Futaba cried out, jumping up and down.

Ryuji nodded impressively, giving Ren a big grin, “Hell man, I didn’t think you had it in you but you proved me wrong, such a good job as well.”

“Thank you, guys, really it means a lot,” he sighed, his body feeling strangely lethargic.

“Are you alright?” Yusuke asked him, looking him up and down. Ren was slightly pale under the light of the ice rink.

“I’m fine really… just tired.”

“Well you should head on home and get some rest; you’ve pretty much got the routine nailed down perfectly now!” Futaba stated confidently.

Ryuji agreed, “She’s right, you look like you just woke up from an all-nighter, get home and get some rest.”

Ren nodded, “Thanks everyone.” He made his way to the stands but not before tumbling forward. He caught himself as he hit the hard-stone ground.

“Ren!” his friends exclaimed as they rushed to him.

“I’m fine! Really…” he said, though he distinctly didn’t feel fine, he wanted to avoid worrying his friends though.

“We should get him home ASAP, his skin looks real pale and clammy,” Ryuji proposed, “I’ll call a taxi.”

“Good idea Ryuji,” Yusuke agreed, “Ren can you walk?”

Ren nodded, although he felt like the world was turning and spinning his view, “Of course I can walk… everything is just… rotating a lot right now.”

“Hoo boy, that doesn’t sound good,” Futaba exclaimed alarmingly.

Ryuji gestured to Ren’s bag, “Futaba you grab his stuff, Yusuke and I will support him.”

Together they made their way to the entrance hall, carrying their tired leader. Tanaka hurriedly phoned a taxi once he saw Ren’s state. When the car arrived the group all boarded it. They got to the apartment complex 15 minutes later. Yusuke and Ryuji took a look at the stairs frowning.

“Which floor does he live on again?” Ryuji asked, scratching his head with one hand while the other supported Ren, who was seemingly unconscious.

“Hm, 3rd floor perhaps?” Yusuke suggested, although he didn’t look completely sure.

“Guys we can just call Sumire,” Futaba interjected, holding up her phone.

“Oh right, good idea Futaba,” Ryuji agreed.

Futaba dialled Sumire, who picked up nearly straight away.

_\-------_

Sumire: _Hello Futaba? What’s going on?”_

Futaba: _Sumire! We have Ren outside the apartment building, he’s not very conscious right now, uhm I’m guessing sleep deprivation, if you’re home could you come down and help bring him up?_

Sumire: _“What?!_ _Is Ren okay?”_

Futaba: _“He seems fine, just exhausted.”_

Sumire: _“Okay... that's good, I’ll be right down!”_

_\-------_

A few moments later Sumire came running down the stairs wearing a grey jumper and long pants.

“What happened?” she asked as she saw Ren being supported by Ryuji and Yusuke.

“We don’t know,” Ryuji said honestly, “We were… uhm hanging out together and he just suddenly started feeling light headed.” Ryuji managed to correct himself in time.

Futaba’s eyes were wide from the near close call but Sumire was too focused on Ren to notice.

“Let’s get him upstairs, I can call Dr Takemi to come over for a house visit,” Sumire said, pulling out her phone.

Yusuke nodded, “Excellent idea, lead the way Sumire, we’ll carry him.”

Together they made their way up to the apartment, bit by bit. When they had finally reached the apartment, Ryuji and Yusuke were slightly out of breath.

“You hanging… in there…Fox?” Ryuji breathed as they stepped into the warm apartment.

“Funny… you should…ask that Skull... was just… about to ask you the same thing.”

“Less banter, more carrying guys!” Futaba cheered, although in a lower tone so she wouldn’t disturb Ren.

They managed to carry Ren to the living room couch, placing him carefully down.

Ryuji wiped his forehead, “Phew, made it.”

Seeing that Ren was safely in the apartment now, Sumire started dialling a number on her phone.

“Hello Dr Takemi,” she spoke into her phone, “Yes it’s Sumire, yes… it’s about Ren.”

There was a slight pause.

“Okay good, I’ll see you at my apartment, yes, it’s number 32… okay thank you, see you then.”

She hung up and turned back to Ren, who seemed to be fast asleep.

“Dr Takemi is on her way, thank you guys so much for bringing Ren here.”

“It was no trouble,” Yusuke replied, a calm smile on his face.

Both Futaba and Ryuji gave a thumbs up in agreement.

“In any case, please make yourself comfortable, I can get out some green tea…”

Yusuke quickly shook his head, “It’s quite alright Sumire, I think it would be best if we went home, don’t want the apartment getting too crowded. I am not too worried either Ren is in capable hands.”

“Yeah, he’ll be fine in your care,” Ryuji concurred standing up now from his seat.

Sumire smiled gratefully, “Thank you guys, means a lot.”

Futaba jumped up and struck a pose, “Let’s be off then! Sojiro is probably worried about why I’m not home yet.”

“Yea, we’ll take Futaba home, call us if anything happens Sumire,” Ryuji added nodding towards Ren’s sleeping form.

“Will do, take care guys.”

The rest of the group headed towards the front door once more, and before long she heard the door opening and closing softly as they exited the apartment.

\-------------------------

Ren blinked groggily. Someone was shining a bright light into his eyes. He tried piecing together what had happened. He had gotten home to his apartment with his friend’s help… everything after that… What happened after that?

“He’s conscious, just seems over exhausted,” a calm older female voice spoke, turning off the flashlight and feeling his forehead for a fever.

“That’s a relief…” a bright familiar voice said.

“He needs rest, it seems he’s been working himself ragged these past few days, a couple days of sleep will do him good.”

Tae Takemi scribbled something on her notepad and handed it to Sumire along with some medicine which she pulled from her bag.

“Tell him to take these before every meal, should give him some energy back gradually, we don’t want to overwhelm him.”

She also pulled out a small bottle that contained a light red liquid.

“Additionally, when he wakes, make him drink this, it should give him enough energy to eat something before he sleeps.”

Sumire nodded gratefully, “Thank you again Dr Takemi.”

Tae waved away her thanks, smiling at the red-haired girl, “No trouble, Ren has done a great deal for my clinic, it’s the least I could do.”

She stood up, taking a look around their apartment, “Cosy place you have here, luckily it was close to my clinic as well.” Tae gestured to Ren who was lying on the living room couch moaning feebly.

“Call me if this idiot does this again, I’ll make sure to give him a stronger dose so he learns his lesson.”

“Will definitely do that, but not before I have words with him,” Sumire said eyeing the stirring body of her boyfriend with worry and exasperation.

“Good, have a goodnight Sumire, I’ll leave him in your care.”

Tae made her way towards the front door, scratching Morgana on the ear on her way out. Sumire heard the click of the door opening and closing.

Morgana slowly walked towards Sumire as she stood by Ren’s side, “Good that Dr Takemi came by, I’m going to clean myself real quick, I’ll be in the bathroom Sumire.”

She nodded then sighed as he looked back to Ren.

For a moment, Ren opened his eyes and looked around confusedly.

“Are we in a safe room?” he muttered.

Sumire shook her head and tried not to laugh. Conflicting emotions ran through her mind. She felt mad, confused but above all worried about her partner. She went over and sat beside him, holding the small red bottle in her hand.

“Ren, you need to drink this,” she said softly, brushing her hand over his hair.

“Mhm,” was all he said.

He opened his mouth in response.

Sumire uncorked the bottle and slowly fed him the medicine.

“Wow… that taste brings me back…” he mumbled, shuddering. He fell back on the couch; the sound of his soft breathing filled the room once more.

A slightly tense silence filled the apartment.

By now, with the help of Takemi’s medicine, Ren had pieced together most of what had happened in the last couple of hours.

He had worked himself too hard, not getting enough sleep and letting his body get proper rest, resulting in him completely losing his marbles and nearly collapsing.

Ren tried closing his eyes and letting the fatigue take him again but sleep eluded him.

How could he sleep when he could feel a piercing sensation of guilt in his chest.

Everything he had done so far in preparation had been for her, but… could he tell her that? Now that he was this close to the deadline? He didn’t have the courage too.

...

“I’m sorry Sumire.”

There were a million things he wanted to say but those words were the first that left his lips

He could feel her gaze on him.

He dared not look her in the eye, despite the fact that every fibre in his body wanted to see her.

He was too ashamed.

For making her worry and stress about him.

For deceiving her about where he’s been going and why he’s working so hard.

No matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t tell her.

Ren clenched his fist, ‘When did I… become such a coward?’ he thought.

A bleak darkness seemed to surround him, and he found himself right in the middle of it. In this dark place he felt small and insignificant…

…

Like a summer breeze, he felt Sumire’s hand brush against his hair then his face. Her fingers then trailed around the back of his head, going around his ears, to his cheeks and finally against the crook of his neck.

“Ren… you’ve been pushing yourself for me, haven’t you?”

It was more of a statement than question. Though her voice was firm it was gentle as well, like the light of a firefly during a warm summer night.

He wanted to open his mouth to reply but nothing came out.

“Don’t worry, I can tell that, just like how I can tell when you’re happy your eyebrows always curl together.”

She trailed her hands further down from his neck.

“Or the way you laugh when you’re happy, your lips will always dance along with your laugh.”

Her hands reached his chest.

“And when you’re sad, your eyes will be like a stormy ocean, reflecting the emotions inside your heart.”

Her hands stopped as they reached his heart, she held her hand there, feeling the steady beat through his chest.

“I can tell all these things about you because I love you Ren.”

_…_

The first time she had said those words to him, 3 years ago at Leblanc, Ren hardly believed they were real.

Back then his heart felt both light and heavy, he remembered the feeling of it beating, it was unbelievable fast but also incomparably slow. He felt both joy, nervousness, excitement and nausea all at the same time.

_..._

There was nothing else in the world that compared to it, being told someone loved you.

And even after all these years, Ren found himself experiencing all those emotions again, as those words passed from her heart to his own.

Slowly, Ren raised his hand and placed it on top of Sumire’s which was resting on his heart. He grasped it gently.

“I love you too Sumire.”

There was nothing else that needed to be said. Opening his eyes slowly, he found her ruby ones meeting his own. There was warmth, love and comfort in her gaze.

Ren gripped her hand a bit tighter, “I’ll never let you go.”

A small smile crossed her face, “Good, because it’s too late to back out now, we’ll be together, forever,” she reaffirmed.

“Now get some rest, I’ll be here till you finally sleep.”

They held onto each other’s hands for what felt like an eternity, before Ren finally let himself fall back into dreamless sleep. 

\---------------

The next day Ren was confined to bed rest by a very strict but still loving Sumire.

She had even taken the day off from her university classes and stayed home to watch over him, with Morgana helping her make sure Ren was staying in his bed.

An unspoken message had passed between Sumire and him about why he was working so hard, she knew he would tell her when he was ready and there was no point in pressing the issue.

Overall, Ren still felt quite embarrassed what had happened, but decided that he needed the rest more than anything. There were 2 days before the anniversary, the routine was done but he still needed some extra practice…

“Hey I hope you’re not thinking of sneaking out and practising,” Morgana sternly interrupted his thoughts as he climbed into Ren’s bed.

“What? Could never dream of it…” he said, shifting his eyes and pulling the covers of the bed closer to himself.

“Good, Sumire was worried sick about you, you better stay and rest till the day of the anniversary, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“What do you mean by that?” Ren asked.

“Hehe, don’t underestimate the power of a retired phantom thief, I’ve got something sorted in preparation, the original plan is still good to go.”

Ren sighed in relief, “Thank you Morgana, really I mean it.”

“Don’t mention it, although once this whole thing is over perhaps you could buy me more fatty tuna?”

“I’ll buy you enough for 10 cats if we pull this thing off successfully.”

Morgana’s eyes lit up like the headlights of a car, “Alright, you’ve got a deal Joker.”

“Ren!” Sumire called from the kitchen, “are you feeling well enough to eat some food now?”

“Yes, thank you Sumire!” he called back. He slowly tried to get up but Morgana pounced on him.

“Woah what are you doing Ren!?”

“Getting up and eating?”

“Sumire said you should rest; she’ll bring it here.”

Ren looked at him incredulously, “Morgana I just had a small case of over-exhaustion, I’m not dying.”

“Hey mister, be grateful, you need the rest anyway, I had a look at your feet I can see the constant ice skating hasn’t done you any favours.”

They stopped talking when they had Sumire’s footsteps approach.

She walked into the bedroom carrying a tray with a bowl of porridge on it.

“Here you Ren, one hot bowl of porridge to get your energy back!” she said cheerily.

She set the tray down slowly on top of him.

“Thank you Sumire.”

“It was nothing, luckily my mom sent me her recipe, otherwise I would have had to use one from the internet,” she gestured to the bowl.

“Please eat it all, and after that get some rest okay?”

Ren nodded quickly, “Of course, sorry that you had to stay today and take care of me.”

“Really Ren? I said I would care for you remember? So eat up and get your energy back.”

She smiled then exited the bedroom.

“You heard her, eat up Ren,” Morgana said, curling up and lying down on the bed so that he could watch him.

Ren spent the rest of the day lying in bed, trying to get as much rest as possible. He did manage to sleep through most of the day, waking up again at 6 PM for dinner. Sumire had made him udon noodles, telling him that warm soup dishes were best when you needed energy.

Eventually he drifted off to sleep again after dinner, with thoughts of ice skating, Sumire’s smile and Morgana eating a mountain of tuna drifting around in his tired mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to dedicate this part to the Sumire Writing Discord Channel, for always being excited about my work and cheering me on!  
> You know who you all are! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the things you do!  
> See you all for part 3!


	9. Our Last Dance Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 of 'Our Last Dance'  
> A final dance together, it's time to show the devotion Joker has been building up all this time. Let the curtain rise for the day of Sumire and Ren's 3rd anniversary!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 out of 3 of my final chapter. I've said this so many times already but thank you again for reading my story, I hope the ending lives up to your expectations!  
> Hope you all enjoy it!
> 
> P.S Listening to any chill or relaxing song is good for the majority of this story!
> 
> Please, if you can, listen to "In Regards To Love: Eros - Taku Matsushiba featuring Okijin" for the performance scene ;)  
> If you haven't seen the performance yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeaXugs8s-8&start=1053  
> Here's the moment Yuri performs it in the anime if you wanted a clear view <3

**18** **th** **of January, 1 day before the anniversary**

Rays of sunlight filtered through the apartment window; it was another cold but beautiful in Tokyo. Ren and Sumire had woken up early and prepared breakfast together. She decided that he had enough rest and could walk around a little.

Following the familiar rhythm, they made onigiri and miso soup, setting it out on the dining table and eating.

“Hey Sumi, you’re free tomorrow, right?” Ren asked her casually as they had breakfast.

Sumire’s eyes lit up, “Why, yes, I happen to be free tomorrow, is there something you want to do?” she asked him, smiling innocently at him.

“I mean, I was just thinking, since it’s our 3rd anniversary tomorrow, did you want to do something?”

“Hmm, I mean if you want too... 3 years is a big number…” she trailed off as if in deep thought, though her eyes were playful as they looked at him.

“Right exactly,” Ren agreed, “So let’s spend tomorrow together.”

“Sounds lovely, I can’t wait Ren,” she said warmly.

\---

Later that evening, Ren found Morgana in the hallway.

“Did you manage to get my skates to Ryuji?”

“Yes, the costume arrived as well, I sent it to Haru, they’ll bring it on the day,” Morgana reported, nodding his head.

“Good, well, all we can do now is wait.”

“Nervous Ren?” Morgana inquired, tilting his head curiously.

“Completely.”

**19** **th** **of January, the day of the 3** **rd** **anniversary.**

The day finally arrived; Ren hardly slept a wink the previous night. He tossed and turned until finally he drifted off into restless sleep. When he awoke all, he could think about was what lay ahead of him. He hadn’t practised the routine for nearly 3 days and that bothered him greatly. However, he knew he could pull through, he just needed to focus.

Ren turned around in bed and found Sumire awake, staring expectantly at him.

“Morning Sumire,” he said, a bit nervously, “Happy 3rd anniversary.”

“Mhm, thank you Ren,” she rolled over into his arms, “Please take care of me next year as well.”

He nodded, and hugged her.

“So, what are we doing today?” she asked tilting her head to look at him properly.

“Uhm, you know, was just thinking you and I could make breakfast and then go out for a stroll.”

Sumire eyed him curiously, “Alright, I see no harm in that Senpai!”

She got up energetically, Ren breathed in deeply before following her.

They made a light breakfast of grilled salmon and tamagoyaki, which they ate in relative silence.

‘Hmm she definitely suspects something,’ Ren thought to himself as they ate.

“Where’s Morgana?” Sumire asked suddenly, taking a look around the apartment.

“Oh, I’m sure he’s just out for a cat-walk, you know?”

Sumire raised an eyebrow at him, “A ‘cat-walk’?”

“Yeah, you know, the walks cat’s go on when they want to go for a walk, perfectly normal for cats to wander.”

“Mhm fair enough,” she said smiling.

After they had finished eating, they got dressed.

Ren wore his signature dark coat with a blue scarf and long pants.

Sumire wore her red jacket with a matching red scarf, skirt and tights.

When they had dressed they walked to the hallway, putting on their shoes.

“So, we’re just going off for a stroll?” Sumire confirmed, casting Ren a whimsical look.

“Right, well shall we go?”

“Lead the way my prince,” she teased, holding her hand out to him.

He took it smiling and led her out the door, closing and locking the apartment in the process.

They walked down the apartment complex stares, finally getting to the street.

In front of them, a familiar light blue van awaited them.

The door opened and Ryuji and Ann stepped out waving at them.

“There’s the happy couple, happy 3rd anniversary you two!” Ann cheered.

“Congrats man,” Ryuji said to Ren, raising his hand in a thumbs up.

“Ryuij and Ann?! What are you guys doing here?” Sumire asked, though it was obvious she expected something like this, she was still surprised all the same.

Ann twirled her hair around her fingers, “Well, we thought we would come pick you guys up and drive you to the first location!”

“Location?!” Sumire repeated, feeling confused.

“Let’s go Sumi,” Ren said, gesturing to the van.

She smiled then following his lead, stepped into the vehicle.

\----------------

“Here we are!” Ryuji said as they stopped in front of a large building in outer Shinjuku.

“What is this place?” Sumire asked curiously.

“You’ll see, I think you'll have fun though,” Ren teased as they parked.

The group headed inside to the reception area, the decoration inside was simple, white walls and dark grey carpet flooring.

“This way,” Ryuji pointed to one of the large doors at the end of the room.

They followed his lead and eventually found themselves in a large spacious obstacle course arena.

“Wow,” was all Sumire said as she admired it.

Poles, tight ropes, suspended walk-ways, nets and large steep inclines were found all around her. These obstacles were nearly 50 feet in the air, at the bottom though a large collection of small inflatable balls were located to cushion the fall. She could see the room was divided into 3 sections, in what seemed like 3 different obstacle courses.

Ann waved her hands in the air and pointed to the arena around them,

“Welcome to the first activity of the day, competition between boyfriend and girlfriend, I present to you the obstacle course of trust!”

“Basically, you’ll have to work together to get through this course,” Ryuji explained, “It’s designed to require teamwork between 2 people, they’ve even got prizes for partners who beat the best average time!”

“We’ve got the place booked out as well so it’s just us,” Ann finished explaining for Ryuji.

Ren turned to Sumire, “Well what do you say Sumire?”

“I say we win this thing,” Sumire replied, her eyes determined as she scanned the many obstacles.

She opened her eyes wide as she realised something, “Wait I haven’t got any gym clothes with me though…”

“Way ahead of you,” Ann said, presenting her a bag that was placed to the side of the door, “Ren packed that for you, should be all your usual gym clothes.”

She took the bag, feeling once again speechless “Wow, you really prepared this all Ren?”

“Of course, now let’s get changed in the changing rooms and win this thing!"

\----------------

Sumire and Ren climbed up the ladder to the starting position of the first course. Ren wore his grey sports shirt and gym shorts, Sumire more or less had the same outfit but hers was a violet colour. In front of them, the first obstacle was a rotating pillar that was placed like a log bridge. Ren theorised that it needed to be stabilised by one person while the other climbed across. His thoughts were interrupted by Ryuji, who called out their names.

“You guys ready?” Ryuji called out from below.

Ren turned to Sumire, “You good to go sweetheart?”

“I was born ready,” she said, eying the obstacle course.

Ren gave a thumbs up to Ryuji.

“Alright, on my mark, get set, GO!”

Ren ran forward first, he grabbed the pillar with both hands and held it steady.

Sumire dashed forward, she leaped over him and flipped across the log in one smooth motion.

“Damn, I almost forgot Sumire was a gymnast,” Ann admired as she watched them from below.

Once she was across she held onto the log, gesturing for Ren to run across.

With one great leap first, Ren jumped and ran across the surface of the pillar. It rotated slightly but his balance and previous training allowed him to easily overcome that.

The both reached the other side, and found the next challenge was a series of rope swings.

“Follow my lead,” Sumire said, winking at him.

“As you say darling,” he replied, grinning at her.

She jumped forward and grabbed one rope, before swinging and with the momentum grabbed another.

As the rope came flying back to him Ren jumped and grabbed it.

He swung across, following her lead as Sumire got to the other side.

Ren got to the final rope, he swung and...

Mistimed his jump!

He grabbed onto the ledge, barely missing it.

“Ooh!” Ryuji said groaning as he saw his best friend hit the side of the platform and barely missing out on falling into the pit of balls below.

“I got you Ren,” Sumire grabbed hold of Ren’s hand and pulled him up in a flash.

“Thank you Sumi.”

They looked on and saw the next part was a descending monkey bar set.

This was a set of rotating rods that were attached to the frame of the obstacle course, it led down a platform below.

Ren and Sumire both leaped forward and started climbing down.

The couple had no trouble with this, Ren’s arm muscles were in top shape from Ryuji’s training program and Sumire had natural strength from her training as a gymnast.

They got to the platform below, to see a sloped warped wall ahead of them as the final obstacle.

“We’ll need a good jump and run up,” Ren said thoughtfully.

Sumire sprinted forward as soon as those words left his mouth.

She got halfway up the wall before jumping with all her strength. Barely grabbing the edge of the top of the wall, she pulled herself up.

“Come on Ren!” she called to him.

“I think I might be getting too old for this,” he muttered.

He dashed forward, running up the wall till he had no room left before leaping up. It wasn’t enough, he felt himself falling back down.

However, Sumire’s hand connected with his as she slammed them together and grabbed him.

She pulled him up, and they found themselves at the end of the course. A big red button was stationed at the end.

Sumire pointed to the button “Shall we?”

“Yes, let’s do it.”

They stepped forward and pushed it together.

A loud alarm sounded out throughout the room.

“THAT’S TIME!” Ryuji called out.

Ren and Sumire made their way back over to Ryuji and Ann who were noting something down from a stop watch.

“Good work Sumi, that was incredible,” Ren said full of admiration.

“You did great as well Ren,” she complimented him back, “that was so much fun!”

“I’m glad you liked it.”

“Well done guys,” Ann cheered, “you guys beat the average course time by nearly 10 seconds, you also managed to get 2nd best time overall for that course!”

Ren and Sumire shouted out in joy, hugging each other.

“Alright, I believe that entitles you to a prize,” Ryuji noted. Ann went over to a nearby table and grabbed a large stuffed monkey plushie.

“To the most athletic couple, a monkey climber plushie!” Ann presented it to them.

Sumire took it and held it, “He’s so cute!”

“Well I believe there are 2 activities left for today, shall we go on?” Ren suggested.

She nodded, grinning, “I have no idea what to expect anymore, but I can’t wait to see what it is!”

* * *

They got back into the van after changing to their winter clothes again. Ryuji drove them off into the city, specifically Harajuku.

“So, what’s next?” Sumire asked, her eyes scanning the passing buildings as they drove into the district.

“You’ll see.” Ren looked out the window as the van pulled into a parking lot. Getting out, Ann led the way to a large clothing department store. It was 4 stories tall, with different sections in each floor dedicated to fashionable clothes and accessories. It was relatively busy, with people bustling here and there inside the store.

As they stepped into the entrance, Haru, Makoto, Futaba, Morgana and Yusuke greeted them.

“Glad you guys could make it!” Haru called as they got closer.

“Wow everyone’s here!” Sumire exclaimed.

“Yep! Welcome to part 2 of the anniversary date!” Futaba shouted out excitedly. She was holding Morgana in her arms and shaking him around.

“Woah please, stop the intense shaking!” he cried out.

Makoto stepped forward and gestured around, “Part 2 of the date will split us into two teams, girls and guys, we’ll each come up with an outfit for you two, you aren’t allowed any input, only your teammates can decide.”

Haru picked up the explanation, “After we pick a winner, you’ll wear your team’s chosen outfit for the final part of the date, the final time to finalize the outfit will be 4 PM!”

“Guys versus girls huh,” Ryuji said, “well now I’m pumped!”

“Should be an easy win for us,” Ann said, “but let’s see if the guys can come up with anything good.”

Yusuke shook his head, “We won’t lose, I’m not just artistic when it comes to art you know.”

“Let the second round begin then!” Ren announced.

They split into teams, with the girls dragging Sumire with them and the guys taking Ren.

“Alright, what’s the plan Joker?” Ryuji whispered.

“There is no plan, we’re definitely going to lose,” Ren said calmly.

\---

“So, guys, what are we doing exactly?” Sumire asked nervously as they took her deeper into the department store.

“We, are picking _you_ , an outfit that will knock Ren’s socks off, literally!” Ann declared.

Haru giggled, “Yes, and don’t worry about the price, thanks to Ann-chan doing a sponsored deal for this store earlier in the year we have plenty of discounts!”

Futaba cheered, “We’ll make you look so stylish you could be mistaken for an idol!”

Makoto nodded, “Just leave it to us.”

\---

“I’m telling you, this jacket is the way to go,” Ryuji held up a biker jacket, which was decorated with chains and skull motifs.

“Ryuji please, Ren’s not a gang member, what he needs is a flowing coat.” Yusuke held up a large fur lined brown coat, that was not only wildly expensive but also tragically to 80s.

“Guys you have no fashion sense, he needs a black blazer, matching dark pants and a bow tie!” Morgana interjected.

“That’ll make him look like a butler!” Ryuji said in an almost offended tone.

Ren watched on in silence, he raised his eyes heavenward and muttered “Igor save me…”

\---

“Isn’t this a bit much!” Sumire said as she stepped out of the changing room, wearing a very fine red dress.

“Looks gorgeous on you sweetie,” Ann praised her, “You’ve got the body to pull it off, I’m telling you.”

Sumire looked uncertainly at herself in the mirror, “It just seems a bit… revealing.”’

Haru giggled, “I’m going to have to agree here Ann-chan.”

“Yeah… they have a point Ann, let’s maybe go for something more modest,” Makoto recommended.

“Alright fine, but I still stand by that dress and the fact she looked amazing in it!”

Futaba nodded enthusiastically in agreement, “You damn right she does.”

As Sumire stepped back inside the changing room, they had the distinct growl of her stomach.

“Let’s get something to eat after this outfit, I’m sure we’re miles ahead of the guys,” Ann said cheerily.

\---

Ren walked out of the changing room wearing a denim jacket, a striped bandana, long torn jeans, sunglasses and brown scarf to finish the outfit.

“Looking… cool Joker?” Morgana said in a very unsure and unflattering way. Ren felt like his pride was shattering, this was the first time Morgana had ever hesitated in saying his signature line.

“Hmm, just as I thought, too hipster,” Yusuke noted, nodding his head in a sagely way.

Ryuji shook his head, “Ren’s right, we’ve lost…”

“Let’s get something to eat…” Ren suggested, heaving a great sigh.

\---

It was 4 PM when the group gathered in the central store area.

They had each bundled their selected outfits into a bag as they walked up to each other.

“How did it go boys?” Makoto asked curiously.

Her eyes passed from Ryuji’s poker face, Yusuke’s absentminded gaze, Morgana’s derpy expression and Ren’s neutral gaze.

“You’ll see,” Ren said simply.

\----

They started first with the guys. The girls all gathered in the men’s section, outside the dressing room area.

“I wonder what they came up with,” Haru tilted her head from side to side as she posed the question to the rest of the group.

“We’ll see I guess, I have no idea what to expect,” Sumire said honestly.

Morgana, Ryuji and Yusuke walked out of the changing room.

“May we present, Ren Amamiya!” they announced together.

Ren stepped out of the changing room.

He was wearing a dark blue windbreaker jacket, with a low collar that was flipped up. His pants consisted of a loose black cotton blend, that flowed as he walked towards them. To finish it off he had a pair of circular glasses on, that reflected his piercing gaze.

Ren noticed the girls were all speechless.

“Heh, not bad huh,” Ryuji pointed out, “we decided to blend out styles and go with a Tokyo street-boy look with a classy feel.”

“Indeed, Ren is looking like the ideal city boy,” Yusuke concurred.

Morgana nodded, “Stylish but cool, that’s our Joker.”

“Honestly I’m impressed,” Ann admitted.

“What do you think, Sumi-chan?” Haru asked the red haired girl.

Sumire was completely taken by Ren’s outfit, it not only highlighted his thin but muscular frame, but also his coolness.

“He looks so handsome,” was all she said.

The girls all squealed in excitement at her words, making Sumire blush deep red.

Ren felt himself getting a bit embarrassed at her open compliment, “Thank you Sumi.”

“Alright, it's our turn now,” Futaba said confidently.

\---

The guys all gathered in the women’s section waiting outside the dressing room area and giving them wide space to avoid awkward glances.

“Feels weird standing here,” Ryuji said, trying not to look suspicious.

“Just stand still and normally,” Ren advised him with a slight smile.

Futaba, Ann, Makoto and Haru walked out of the changing room.

“May we present, Sumire Yoshizawa!” they announced together.

Sumire stepped out and Ren felt himself take a sharp breath.

She was wearing a purple dress that went down to her knees. Faint silver threads were sewed onto the sides of the dress that made it look like it sparkled. Accompanying the dress was a white cardigan, which seemed to highlight the contrast and beauty of the two colours. Sumire also wore a small necklace of stars, which glittered under the store lights.

“Well? Beautiful isn’t she,” Ann declared proudly.

The guys said nothing as they compared the girl’s fashion choice to their own.

“She’s like an angel,” Ren said finally.

Sumire blushed once again, “Thank you Ren…” she said shyly.

“Well, it seems both of them are quite taken with each other, how about we call this a tie for now,” Makoto said smiling at them all.

Ryuji nodded “Alright, I agree with that.”

Futaba shrugged, “Same, although I think the real winner here are Ren and Sumire!”

“Indeed, they truly are a beautiful couple,” Yusuke noted as he looked at them both.

* * *

After paying for their clothes and putting them on as part of their agreement, the group guided the couple to a very familiar restaurant.

“Here we are!” Futaba declared, standing proud in front of the tall skyscraper building.

“Wait this is…” Sumire started to say.

“The restaurant I took you for our first Valentine white-day together,” Ren finished for her, smiling, “I’ve got another dinner reservation, just you and I.”

“Ren… this day is getting unbelievable!” her eyes beamed with happiness.

“And this is where we leave you two love birds,” Ann said smiling at them both, “You guys have fun!”

“Thank you guys,” Ren said gratefully.

Sumire nodded quickly “Yes, thank you all so much!”

The rest of the group waved and said their goodbyes. Before long, it was just Sumire and Ren.

“Well, shall we head on up?”

“Yes, let’s go!”

\----------------

It was just as Sumire remembered, from the elegant dark dining tables to the carpeted purple flooring.

“This way please,” the waiter led the way to their table, which was positioned at the very same spot they had dined in 3 years ago.

However now, the curtains were open, opening their view to the Tokyo skyline. Faint lights of yellow, blue and red dotted the horizon. It might not have been as vibrant as the first time she saw it but she loved the sight all the same.

“Ren… you’ve really outdone yourself, this is one of the best days I’ve ever had with you.”

“I’m glad you think so Sumire, I should count myself lucky that I’m able to have dinner with someone as gorgeously dressed as you.”

She flushed red, though quickly recovered to give her own compliment

“Well… you look quite dashing yourself you know, when I first saw you in that outfit, I thought I might swoon from the charisma you were giving off.”

Ren felt himself go pink around the ears, “Geez, if we keep this up, we’ll both be red as tomatoes by the end of the night.”

“Wasn’t that your plan Ren?” she smiled at him teasingly.

They enjoyed their meal to the fullest extent, talking as they normally would except, they both had a sparkle of light in their eyes as they talked to each other.

When they had finished their meal, they held hands, as they gazed out into the view of the Tokyo skyline.

“Thank you Ren, for this day, it’s been so incredible, I… can’t even express how thankful I am to have you.” Her words were not only heartfelt, but incredibly sincere and full of love.

“Sumire… everything you’ve done for me for as long as we’ve been together as meant more than anything I have ever owned, and will ever own.”

He gazed at her, his dark eyes finding her ruby ones.

“I’ll continue to watch over you, always and forever.”

Sumire’s lips curved into a loving smile, “And I promise to do the same.”

They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other’s company as they gazed out into the city.

\----------------

At 6:30 PM, they found themselves exiting the restaurant, hand in hand with each other.

“What an absolutely wonderful day,” Sumire bubbled again happily.

“Oh, it’s not quite over yet sweetheart.”

She turned to look at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.

“What? What do you mean Ren?”

“Follow me, this way,” he led her down the main street, till they came across a set of parked motorcycles. He gestured to a black one that was parked closest to the wall.

“Hop on, we’re going for a bit of a ride,” he said smiling.

“Wait since when could you ride a motorcycle Ren!?”

Ren shrugged, “I took some lessons from Makoto’s instructor last year, no big deal, I haven’t told you mainly because I don’t own a bike, I never saw a reason for it.”

He walked over and picked up a red helmet which he handed Sumire.

“Remember to hold on tight,” he winked impishly at her as he put on his own black helmet.

In a slightly hesitant manner, Sumire walked over and got on the bike, putting her arms around Ren’s waist.

“You okay back there?” he asked her.

“Yep, let’s take off Senpai!”

Nodding, Ren kicked the bike into gear and soon sped off into the Tokyo streets.

The wind felt cold but relaxing on Sumire’s face as they drove along the bustling Tokyo Streets. She held her arms around Ren tightly as they passed by dazzling buildings illuminated by city light.

Despite this being the first time she had ever ridden a bike, she felt safe knowing he was the one driving it.

Ren drove them through crowded streets as he navigated the intersections of Tokyo, before finally stopping at a large building in a quiet neighbourhood near the Akasaka district.

“Huh, are we stopping?” Sumire asked curiously, taking a look around the empty area.

“Yes, we’re at the final event of the night,” Ren said mysteriously, as he took his helmet off, shaking his hair.

“I wonder what surprises you have in store for me this time,” she giggled, handing him her helmet and walking slowly towards the large circular building.

“You’ll see, let’s head inside.”

They entered the foyer area, which was darkened and deserted.

Ren felt Sumire clutch onto his arm.

“Don’t worry, it’s perfectly safe,” he reassured her in a low and calming voice.

They walked towards the doors at the end of the area. Ren grabbed the handle and looked at her, “Here we are darling.”

He pulled the door open, revealing a dazzling sight.

Sumire saw a large ice-rink, with coloured lights all focused on the centre of the skating area. In the dim lighting of the seats around the rink she could pick out their friends, who waved at them enthusiastically as they walked in.

“An ice-skating rink? Why?” she asked, feeling a bit lost but excited.

Ren laughed a little, “Come on down, and I’ll show you.”

Together they made their way down to the stands where their friends were waiting.

“Wow took you guys long enough!” Futaba crossed her arms and eyed them.

“Sorry, got a bit lost during the bike ride,” Ren explained smiling at them all.

He turned to Sumire, “You stay here Sumi, I’ll be right back.”

Sumire nodded as Ren began to run back to the entrance.

“Take a seat Sumire,” Makoto gestured to the seat beside herself, and with a faint smile said “You’ll want to sit down for this.”

\----------------

Ren looked himself in the mirror as he styled his hair back.

He was wearing the costume now, the crystal adornment shimmered slightly in the light of the changing room.

Aoi had done an amazing job replicating the net like design that weaved around his chest area. 

Taking a deep breath, he headed once more to the ice rink, painfully aware of his own beating heart.

He opened the door slowly, and stepped inside the rink arena. Ren walked down the steps slowly, careful not to draw attention to himself. The costume was slightly tight and by all accounts looked quite cold since it was just a single layer but he felt like he was burning up inside.

His heart seemed to beat even faster as he descended the steps.

Finally he got to the rink, picking up his ice-skates Yusuke had placed there for him in advance, he carefully slipped them on.

By this point Sumire had noticed him, though with the dim light of the outer stands she could barely make out what he was wearing or doing.

“What’s Ren doing over there?” she asked the group.

“Wait for it!” Futaba almost screamed in excitement.

Finally managing to get on his skates, Ren took one more deep breath before getting on the ice and skating out to the middle of the rink. The lights now shifted to a pale white colour as they pivoted and focused on him. Ren slowly did a lap around the rink, getting a feel for the ice once more.

Sumire’s eyes widened, “Wait, that’s Yuri’s costume from ‘Yuri on Ice,’ WAIT IS HE ABOUT TO DO WHAT I THINK HE IS?!”

A loud announcer called out from the technician’s box now as Ren centred himself in the middle of the rink.

“And now, Ren Amamiya will perform Eros, from the popular show, ‘Yuri on ice!’”

Futaba and Sumire both screamed.

As the opening guitar notes sounded throughout the ice rink, Ren struck his starting pose.

_‘Who am I dancing for? I know who.’_

He turned to Sumire and flashed his usual confident Joker smile, causing his entire group in the stands to scream out his name.

“RENNNNNNNNNNNNN ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!”

Ren dashed forward, starting first on his weave sets, as he danced along the ice, his skates gliding as he moved in semi-circular fashion around the rink.

He found his breaths came in through ragged gasp but it felt good, being on the ice again.

Leaping forward, he started spinning around.

One half spin!

Two full spins!

Twirling around, he launched into the next step sequence, his arms flowing around him as if like a leaf in the wind.

Ren hurled into the spread-eagle form, leading into the dreaded triple axel.

“Here it comes!” Makoto said, wincing in slight fear.

Futaba nearly covered her eyes as he did the run up to the axel.

He leaped forward and!

Landed it flawlessly with a hiss on the ice as he glided along.

Screams erupted from his friends once more.

“It’s not over yet, the quadruple Salchow is next!” Yusuke nearly shouted out in panic.

Ren got ready once again and jumped into the air …

and landed his quadruple Salchow with a satisfying hiss from the ice!

Yusuke jumped up from his seat along with everyone else, “MAGNIFICENT!”

‘Alright Ren now for the toe-loops…’

He gulped in another breath of cold icy air.

Ren kicked his skates together and leaped up doing a 4 rotation mid-air jump.

As he landed on the ground, he jumped up again, immediately doing a 3 rotation mid-air jump.

“OH MY GOD WHAT AM I SEEING?!” Ryuji exclaimed as Ren landed that perfectly.

Sumire was speechless, her heart and eyes were captivated by his movements as he danced flawlessly along the ice.

As the song came to a climax, Ren gathered himself into a sit spin, spinning a total of 40 times before doing his final weave formation.

The song came to an end. He posed strikingly, his arms placed around himself as if hiding his body and form.

...

A silence filled the entire rink, before an ear-splitting applause filled it to the brim with cheers and applause.

Ren finally felt like he could breathe again.

It was over, all that practice, all the all-nighters and training he had done.

His eyes scanned over the entire rink as he breathed in air to fill his lungs again.

To his utter surprise, he saw all his confidants there, applauding and cheering for him, spaced out from each other and sitting in little groups around the different seating stands.

He saw Sae, Sojiro, Takemi, Shinya, Ohya, Hifumi, Mishima, Yoshida, Chihaya, Kawakami, Iwai and his son Kauro. He even spotted a familiar curly brown-haired doctor…

His eyes fell on his friends though, his phantom group, the people he could always confide everything too and count on.

He gave one wave to them, moving his arm from side to side as if greeting them, and they knew what it meant. All their effort had culminated in this, and it was thanks to them he pulled it off. He conveyed all that with one wave and his friends understood him as if he had spoken the words to them himself.

Ren felt slightly dizzy from all the adrenaline and fatigue, he slowly lowered his arm and held his hand to his face, trying to calm his slightly disorientating world.

This was the moment his friends knew they were waiting for.

Ann nudged Sumire, “Go out to him, he needs you Violet.”

“What?” Sumire said, “But I don’t have any skates…”

“Way ahead of you,” Futaba proudly stated as she pulled out a red pair of skates and presented it to Sumire.

Morgana meowed, “Ren had them custom made for you!”

“You can do it Sumi-chan,” Haru smiled sunnily at her.

“Go and get him Sumire,” Ryuji encouraged her, grinning broadly.

Yusuke patted her reassuringly on the shoulder, “He did this all for you, I’m sure he would be overjoyed if you met him on the ice.”

Makoto agreed, “Go out there and tell him what you thought, he’ll appreciate it.”

Sumire nodded determinedly, then put on the ice skates with the group’s help.

It wasn’t long before she stepped onto the ice.

Slowly, she glided towards him. She had done ice skating as a kid growing up but she still felt shakingly nervous as she got closer to him.

There were so many things she wanted to say after all.

Ren noticed Sumire was coming towards him, he slowly moved in her direction.

“Ren! That was…” she fell forward as her skates got caught in some rough ice. A few gasps could be heard from the assembled crowd as they saw her fall forward.

She felt herself land in Ren’s arms as he caught her.

“I got you Sumire,” he said comfortingly as he held her.

“Ah, Ren…”

She looked up at him, “That was amazing, incredible, I was so moved, you did all that for me?”

He smiled a bit sheepishly, “Of course, ever since you said this routine represented what you thought raw love and emotion was… I knew I had to perform it for you for your 3rd anniversary.”

Sumire had no words, all she could do was reach out her hand and feel his cold cheek.

“And… I had another reason for doing this routine for you...”

“Huh, what other reason?” she asked.

“Uhm, wait here a moment.”

Ren let her go slowly, then raised one hand in the air.

“Ryuji that’s your cue!” Morgana hissed.

“Oh right, sorry!”

Ryuji grabbed a small palm sized box. He aimed it towards Ren and threw it with all his strength.

Ren skated forward and with a single leap, caught the box in the air.

Silence filled the hallway.

“Sumire, I have a request.” He skated close to her so that they were right up against each other again.

She tilted her head, “What is it Ren?”

Ren took a moment, as if to gather his thoughts.

“You know, I pictured this scene a thousand, no, a million times in my head, yet I still don’t know what to properly say…”

He looked right into her eyes, and Sumire found a gentle and loving gaze filling her heart.

“Here goes…” Ren dropped down to one knee, he opened the box slowly.

Inside, was a diamond ring, which reflected the light from above in a myriad of ways.

Sumire felt her heart rate skyrocket.

“I know you’ll be busy with your gymnastic career, and I know that will be your focus, but I want us to be connected even more than we are now.” Ren stopped, taking a deep breath.

“You once said long ago… that beauty is devotion, I hope to prove that my love to you will be my way of showing my eternal devotion to you, till the end of our days Sumire.”

He paused, “Will you marry me?”

Sumire already knew her answer as soon as she saw the ring. In fact, she had always known, from the day he had told her he would always support her, comfort her and above all, love her, for who she was, flaws and all.

“Forever and always, yes I’ll marry you Ren!”

She embraced him. He held onto her tightly as applause filled the rink once more. The couple however paid them no mind at all. They were busy taking joy in the love they had found, and the love they would share till the end of days. And whatever hardships they faced, they knew they could overcome it. After all, they had each other.

**_Fin._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all  
> There isn't much left to be said  
> Thank you for joining me on this journey.  
> Big round of gratitude for all of you, whoever you are, I hope this story brightened your day and brought you a smile to your face!  
> I want to lastly thank Atlus for creating such beautiful and loveable characters  
> I want to also thank my fellow writers: Monkkind, VitaminLuce and Kazura, who have read and watched over my story since nearly the start of it.  
> Lastly, I want to thank June, who taught me the excitement of falling in love.  
> See you all <3


	10. Epilogue: The Princess and the Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A shared conversation that would hint the beginning of something new!

Ren and Sumire watched their friends skate across the rink. Ann was holding Ryuji by the hand and leading him around. Yusuke was chasing Futaba around the rink since she had stolen one of his gloves earlier. Haru and Makoto skated idly behind them, watching the whimsical display of agility and cunning from Oracle and Fox as they darted around each other. Ren's other confidants were all enjoying a warm drink served by Tanaka quite a few ways away, sharing quiet and celebratory conversation.

Sumire leaned on Ren’s shoulders, their hands were interlinked. The diamond on Sumire’s fingers glittered under the light of the ice-rink.

“I can’t believe we’re engaged,” Sumire said dreamily, her eyes on the ice rink as she watched their friends laughing and having fun.

Ren nodded, “I can’t believe I’m engaged to a princess like you.”

“Well if I'm the princess in this story, you’re definitely prince that stole my heart at the dance ball.”

“I prefer to think of myself as the thief who stole your heart but I can be the thief prince if you like?”

They laughed, taking joy in each other’s words and warmth.

“Once I’m satisfied with my gymnastics career, we’ll start a family, buy a house somewhere,” Sumire suggested, closing her eyes and imagining it.

“Oh, already thinking of baby names?” Ren said, slightly alarmed but feeling happy regardless.

Sumire laughed and rolled her eyes, “Haha, maybe, I do have some girl names in mind.”

“Funnily enough I have some too,” Ren added confidently.

Sumire’s eyes widened “Really? Can I hear them?”

“I’ve always liked Tsubaki, or perhaps Himawari, or maybe even Sakura?”

Sumire tilted her head slightly to look at him, “Those are all… flower names,” she pointed out.

“Yes… they are,” Ren said innocently.

“You know, just because my name is Sumire doesn’t that mean our daughter has to have the same name-theme as mine,” she giggled as she flushed red at the thought of Ren thinking of them having children later down the road.

Ren ruffled his hair absentmindedly, “I’ll keep thinking then.”

He turned to her, “What name would you pick then?”

“Hmm, I’m really fond of Reina.”

“Hey that’s just my name but for a girl!” Ren exclaimed.

She laughed and smiled warmly at him, “Mhm, maybe that’s why I like it so much!”

Ren couldn’t do anything but return her affectionate smile, “Well, we’ll think about it when we get there I suppose.”

“Yes, this may have been our last dance as a boy and girlfriend, but we’ll have plenty more as husband and wife.”

Ren turned to her, he lifted her face gently and stared into her eyes. Soundless words passed between them, as they always had. Warmth, love and trust reflected both their gazes.

He slowly pressed his lips to hers. When he pulled back, both their heart rates seemed to have skyrocketed, but they took comfort in that feeling.

“I’ll look forward to them.”

Nothing else was said as they snuggled closer to each other.

To them, the only sound that could be heard was the beat of their hearts, as they enjoyed their moment together and looked forward to the future ones they would share.

Always and forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all  
> As promised, I do have a sequel planned!  
> The title is!!!!!!!!!  
> "Ordinary days with you"  
> It centers around Ren, Sumire and their child, living regular fluff and wholesome days together.  
> Its a story about growing up as not only parents but raising a kid in the process!  
> Ren and Sumire will definitely need to learn to become parents together.  
> You won't see this till after the 3rd of July 2020 as I have exams :(  
> Please stay tuned till then!  
> Thank you all so much <3  
> UPDATE: Sequel is out! Please I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it!


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